Vicious Schemes
by OptimusPower92
Summary: Nick and Judy have been together for about a year now. But when Nick goes missing, it tears Judy apart from the inside. And when she finds him, things will never be the same. Co-written with servant1999 (Link to her profile is on my page) Cover Image by Ziegelzeig
1. More Missing Mammals

_Written by OptimusPower92 and servant1999_

* * *

 _Nature built everything for us. The trees that give us air, the grass we walk on, the sun that gives us warmth, the water that gives us life. Nature made it all so we could thrive and prosper._

 _But Nature also takes… Nature chooses which trees multiply and which ones wither away. Nature determines if the salmon make it up the river in order to reproduce. Nature decides whether to grant power or weakness,_

 _Vitality or Impairment,_

 _Perfection or Pain,_

 _Life or Death,_

 _It's all left up to random chance, a flip of a coin…_

 _I'm sick of it. I want to fix where Nature is flawed. I have suffered for too long after being dealt a bad hand. I won't let anyone else go through what I went through…_

 _I want to change the world for the better. They'll see…_

 _Soon…_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – More Missing Mammals**

* * *

The cool, morning air drifted through Nick's window as the world began to ignite. The city was already beginning the morning; with many mammals already out to start the day. Nick, however, was not one of them. He instead decided to sleep in, despite the fact that he was going to make today special for Judy. The gentle breeze that caressed his fur reminded him that morning had come and the day was starting. He let out a small moan and opened his eye just enough to read the clock.

 _7:49_

"Mmm… few more minutes…" he muttered as he shut his eye and tried to slumber for just a little longer. It didn't feel too long before he checked the clock again to make sure he wasn't gonna be late.

 _8:53_

"Ah, damn it!" Nick grunted as struggled to get out of the bed. Somehow, the sly fox was all tangled up in the bed coverings. "Come on!" he nearly shouted as he frantically kicked at the sheets and blankets. He groaned again as he crawled out of the bed with the covers still wrapped around him. He managed to free himself from them near his closet. Opening the door, he was met with one item: his police uniform. He washed it yesterday, something he didn't do often enough. Today, he wanted to make the day extra special for Judy. Clean outfit, brushed fur, and perhaps some cologne to impress Judy, followed up by a nice dinner. It had taken him a while to muster up the strength to do this. Without wasting another second, he threw on his uniform, brushed most of the visible fur, and used the blueberry-scented cologne before grabbing the keys and rushing out the door of his apartment to the car they shared. Bogo let them only have one vehicle for the both of them so Nick kept the car at his apartment since Judy's place was closer to the precinct.

"Isn't this a great way to start the day?" he sarcastically mutter to himself as he tried to drive fast and careful at the same time

Judy was getting ready for her day as she always was. Got up at six o'clock, watched the news as she ate breakfast, put her uniform on, applied a bit of carrot-scented perfume, and was ready to go by the time Nick came, or at least when he was supposed to be there.

Nick was supposed to pick up Judy at nine, and their shift started at nine-thirty. The clock read eight minutes after on Judy's phone, and Nick still wasn't there yet. She was hesitant to text because he could be driving, but she was thinking about it for the past fifteen minutes, more time than it takes to drive from Nick's place to hers. She looked out her window and identified the patrol car driving down the road towards the entrance to her apartment complex.

"About time." Judy muttered as she tucked her phone back into her pocket and rushed down the stairs to the outside of the building.

The car rolled up to the side of the road and slowed to a stop. Judy quickly jumped in the car, and Nick started driving forward again in an instant, the engine roaring until it made the speed limit. Judy noticed he was a little different. His outfit was cleaner, his distinct scent was covered, his fur texture was smoother, and she could smell something else. Something that smelled like blueberries.

And here it was, the moment of truth. "Sorry for being late, Carrots." Nick said, sounding nervous. "Woke up a little early, thought I could stay in for a little bit."

"It's alright, Nick." Judy replied with her same positive demeanor.

Nick was relieved that she was still as optimistic as she always was. He tried to swallow his nerves before speaking, but that only made him choke. "Thanks, Judy." he said in an off voice. Blushing under his fur, his heart pounding under his clean uniform, he cleared his throat before spitting it out. "You know, I was thinking - after our shift today - we could go out… you know… to dinner tonight."

Judy's ears perked up in interest. Was Nick finally asking her out? She had wanted him to for a while and was thinking of asking him soon, but this was it! "Like, a date?" She asked slowly, wanting to make sure she understood and not embarrass herself.

Nick's heart was really racing now, and his paws were sweating on the steering wheel a little. "Sure." He finally answered as normal as possible. "A date. Yeah."

"That would explain the fancy getup today." Judy teased to lighten the tension. It worked; Nick chuckled, and his heart seemed to be calming down. "Sounds great!"

"So, it's a date then?" Nick asked, feeling boundless.

"A date." She replied; finding some sort of satisfaction with the word. A date. Judy was very excited to go out with Nick. It had been a while since they had done something remotely like it. "Where are we going tonight?" The bunny asked.

"It's a surprise. You'll have to wait and see." Nick said with that classic con-man smirk. It felt good to be his usual "sly-fox" self, rather a nervous mess.

"Sly Fox." Judy said, almost as if she could read Nick's mind.

"That I am." The fox said smugly, making his partner-in-crime laugh as they pulled into their reserved parking spot.

Nick felt like he could do no wrong. He had just asked out Judy Hopps! If he can do that, he can do anything.

As they were approaching the door, Judy decided to start the game they always played when they got to the precinct in the morning.

"Left." She said.

"Right." Nick replied.

Clawhauser almost always had a donut under his cheek, and Nick and Judy made a game out of it. But this time the donut was… on his head, right in the middle.

"Hey, guys!" Benjamin Clawhauser exclaimed, completely unaware of the delectable sweet atop his head. "How was your weekend?"

"Good." Judy replied, climbing the desk, and then Ben's chair. "Hey, Ben, I need you to hold still for a sec."

"Uh, ok." He replied with a nervous tone.

Judy pulled out a measuring tape, and measured from the hole of the donut to Ben's left ear and then his right ear. Nick watched with a smug look, seeming as if he knew he'd win the game today.

"Mm-hm. It's about two centimeters closer to his right ear." Judy said as she descended to the floor. "You win. And that makes the tally… one-thirty-four to one-forty. Seems you're sly AND lucky."

"Lucky to have you as my partner." Nick said, rolling his eyebrows at her.

"Nick, stop it!" Judy replied, feeling embarrassed at his remark.

"Fine, I'll save it for our date tonight."

"You better." she said with a smirk.

"You guys have a great day!" Clawhauser said to the fox and rabbit.

"You too, Benji!" The vulpine replied.

They continued into the bullpen, and the rest of their squad was already there. *9:34* was on the analog clock on the wall. Bogo had a folder in his hand, and his glasses were on. He was pacing down the left of the room, studying the folder. He looked toward the entrance as his last two units entered the room.

"You're late." Bogo said, sounding almost amused.

"You won't want to hear my excuse as to why we're late. So I won't say." Nick replied as he and Judy climbed up the seat far too big for them. They could've gotten smaller ones for them, but they liked the oversized chair as it was.

"You got that right, Wilde." Bogo put the folder on the desk. "Now, we have some missing mammals. Again. Lionheart is clean, Dawn Bellwether has no method of communication, and there's no trace of Nighthowler serum or any chemicals involved in the manufacturing process near the last known sightings or living spaces. We have no reason to believe it is connected to the incident that happened a year ago. Your assignments are to find these missing mammals. Higgins and Wolford, you'll be on patrol for today. Hopps and Wilde." Bogo handed them their case file for the week. "Snarlov and Grizzoli."

As Bogo went around the room announcing teams and handing off case files, Nick and Judy studied theirs. Ridley Mark, a male ferret, disappeared after going into an alleyway. Witnesses say he was as calm as anyone could be when he went down there. So calm, it was as if he always went down that alley. The location was between the movie theater and the electronics store on East Lincolnway. Ridley was three feet and four inches, had two brothers (one in Zootopia), a mother and deceased father, no spouse, current or former, no children, and worked as an engineer in the biology and tech department. His previous employment was a military weapons supervisor, and he was let go for reasons unknown.

"You now have your assignments." Bogo declared. "Get them done. Dismissed." Nick and Judy descended from their chair with the case file, and headed out the bullpen door.

"So, we take the patrol car to the last known sighting of Ridley?" Judy asked Nick.

"Sounds good to me." He replied.

"All right, then. Let's get going, Slick. The site's not far from here." Judy and Nick rushed through the station, out to the car, eager to solve this case. Judy got to drive when they were on duty to make up for Nick keeping the car and driving to and from work. Nick studied the file while Judy drove to the site, and noticed something peculiar. He didn't recognize this guy.

"So, since you know everybody, do you know this guy?" The doe asked.

"I… can't say. I haven't seen him before." he replied. "And that's saying a lot."

"We'll figure it out." Judy replied. It didn't take much longer for them to make it there. Judy parked the car on the curb about a block away from the alley entrance, where the ferret went missing. "Let me see that." Judy said to Nick, pointing at the file.

He handed it to her, and they got out of their vehicle and proceeded to the alley. This was the downtown part of Savannah Central, filled with buildings that are all connected in some way. The newer parts of Zootopia had individual buildings that had no direct links, save for a few bridges between certain structures here and there. The theater was one of the oldest there; so old, it was originally a live theater where they did plays like 'The Tempted' by William Snakespeare. The store next to the theater was about as old, but has been updated more recently, and with many different owners since the day it was built.

"So, this is it." Judy said. "The last place anyone's seen Ridley since five days ago."

"Let's investigate." Nick replied.

Judy took out her phone to use as a light and to take notes, while Nick looked for clues on the surface. No blood, no wallet, no weapon, nothing. The walls were dull, dirty, and made of brick, the ground's asphalt covered with dirt, and it was dark and cold. The sound of cars driving by created a haunting echo through the alley, and the smell of stale popcorn and moldy butter filled this dark area of Zootopia. Many crimes are committed here, but they're usually robbery or physical violence, not kidnapping, especially the silent kind. Neither Judy, nor Nick wanted to be there. It was both parts depressing and unsettling.

Nick then remembered that some evidence cannot be seen with the naked eye; sometimes you need tools. "Judy, you got a UV light on you?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, you find something?" Judy asked as she tossed Nick the shiny black stick.

"Maybe." Nick pressed the button on the side of the device, and it projected a purple light over the brick. It was near the shade of amethyst, just like Judy's eyes. He took a glance at her, observing her beautiful eyes, her small, twitching nose. "Too bad she won't let me call her cute." Nick thought to himself. He continued to search the alley with the UV light, coming up empty. He then saw, a little bright spot, like a drop of liquid.

"Carrots, I have something!" Nick called to Judy.

"What'd you find?" She replied, rushing over to her partner.

"See this?" Nick said as he pointed at the splash.

"Blood, maybe?"

"Wouldn't doubt it."

"We'll have the CSI guys have a look at it." Judy called the precinct with her radio. "Officer Hopps to Dispatch, we have a stain that shows up under UV light. Possibly blood, over."

"Copy that, Hopps. CSI unit is on its way, over." Clawhauser replied.

"Thanks, Ben." Judy put the radio back on her belt as Ben replied "Anytime."

"You have the tape?" She asked Nick.

"Yup." He replied, handing her the tape. She closed off the area with 'crime scene' tape. "You think there's a body in the dumpsters?"

"I hope not, but check anyway." Judy said. She checked the one on the theater wall near the exit to the alley, Nick checked the only other one near the back door of the electronics store. When he opened the lid, he got a slap to the face with smell of rotting garbage. "Aagh, I think that just killed a nostril!" Nick exclaimed as he covered his nose. "Gross!" He unsteadily walked over the other dumpster to check it as well.

"Nothing here either." Judy called out after checking the second dumpster.

The third dumpster was just as useless to them as the others. "This one's empty, too." Nick called. Just then, the CSI unit came in. There were three mammals, a badger, a deer, and a caribou. All were wearing white lab coats and black protective boots.

"You found something we could use?" the deer asked Judy.

"Yes, we have this spot here." Judy replied "It shows up under UV light, and is a slight red tinge when you shine a regular light on it. Nick?" Nick tossed her the UV light stick. Judy turned it on a pointed at the stain. "We think it's a blood stain."

The caribou took out his own UV light and shined it on the stain. He scraped part of it with his hoof, and some of it changed color. "It's not blood entirely blood, some of it is bleach." The caribou said. "Probably blood they were covering up."

"We could test this sample and see if there's a trace of blood." the badger said to Judy. "Chances are, it's the kidnapper."

"Great!" Judy said with excitement.

"You guys can head out and update the case file now." the deer said to them.

"Awesome." Nick said to them. "Find something good in there, fellas!"

"We'll do our best." The badger replied as Nick and Judy exited the alley and headed to their vehicle. The feeling of being back out in the daylight was a satisfactory feeling. The dark nature of the alley had taken a small toll on both of them.

"Man, that alley does stuff to you." Nick said to Judy.

"Yeah, it does." Judy replied. She got in the driver's seat, and Nick took the passenger.

"I'm guessing now we go to his place of residence, right?" asked Nick.

"Sounds good." she replied, starting up the vehicle. "We're going to need a search warrant, though." She began driving.

"Right. TO THE PRECINCT! DANANANA!" Nick continued to recite the theme song from an old cartoon with a fox dressed up as a bat. Judy covered her mouth with her hand, struggling to not laugh at his goofy demeanor. Nick could tell she was reluctantly amused.

"Ni-ick, you're a goof." She said to him, still heavily entertained.

"My job here is done." He replied. "You smiled at my witticism. My mission is complete."

"All right, fine. You got me with that one."

"Now, let's get that warrant."

* * *

After Nick and Judy retrieved their warrant from Bogo, they proceeded to Ridley's apartment, located right next to Tundratown. That was the colder area of Savannah Central. The snow and cold weather create a gentle breeze on the border of the Savannah. Not many mammals live near the border. Most either live in the middle, where it's warm, or deep in Tundratown where it's ice cold.

"The ferret must like it cold." Nick said as they were driving to the apartment. "I once lived near the border. I hated it; too cold for me. The central area suits me just fine."

"You don't like the cold?" Judy asked. "You always had to go there to get the pawpsicles made, didn't you?"

"Okay, I like to have my room nice and warm when I sleep. It doesn't bother me otherwise."

"Mmm. Here we are." Judy drove into the parking lot of the apartment complex the ferret resided in. She parked next to the office. "Let's go." She said again.

They exited their vehicle and went up to the office entrance. The complex was two main buildings with the office in the middle, and up the street and across were more buildings, smaller in size and with their own parking spaces. The color and texture of the buildings made it seem they were designed like sandstone. Inside the office was a brown-furred bunny. She looked like she may have originally been from Bunyburrow.

"Hi, can I help you?" The female landlord asked. She was nice as well.

"Hi, I'm Officer Hopps, and this is Officer Wilde." Judy replied. "We're investigating a missing mammal case for Ridley Mark, and we were hoping we could check his place of residence."

"You have a search warrant?" The landlord asked.

Nick walked up to the window very slowly, looking the landlord in the eye. "My face is my warrant." he said, holding serious face as he glared at the rabbit. She simply raised a bored, unimpressed eyebrow. "Ahh, I'm just kidding! Here you go." He showed her the piece of paper they had received from Bogo.

She observed it for a second, just to make sure it was authentic. "He's in Building D, Room 45." The landlord handed Judy a key to the room.

"Thank you." Judy said. She looked around for building D, and found it was right across the street. The walked over to the building after waiting for another car to drive by. The building was a duplex design, and Ridley's apartment was the right side from the front entrance.

As they entered the room, a breeze drifted through the door, cold as ice. The window was left wide open, letting all the Tundratown air inside.

"Man, he REALLY likes it cold. Jeez." Nick said. He went and closed the window to keep the cold breeze out. "Dammit…" he muttered as he began to rub his paws and arms.

"Just don't tamper with anything else." Judy scolded him. "All right, what can we look for, Nick?" Judy and Nick both looked around for something they may use to find the ferret. It wasn't long before Nick pointed out something.

"Laptop?" Nick said, pointing at a sleek computer on the table, plugged in, but not on. Judy opened the lid, pressed the power button, and waited for it to start up.

"Check the other rooms." she said to him, and Nick continued to look around the halls and rooms.

Nick continued into the bedroom to check in there. The room was awfully clean. Ferrets were not known to be very tidy, much like foxes. He found a piece of paper with a phone number on it. It was a number within Zootopia, including the surrounding suburbs and towns; within the county. Nick took out an evidence bag, and put the note in it without touching it with bare paws.

"I got a little something." Nick said to Judy, showing the note.

"A number!" Judy exclaimed. "Those are always good clues. Nice job, Slick. I got the computer up, but it's locked with a password."

"Our tech guys can hack it, right?"

"Definitely. We gotta leave it here, though."

"We can take this, though?" handing the note to Judy.

"Yeah. Go check the rest of the rooms."

There was nothing of interest in the remainder of the rooms, so they returned to their vehicle with the number. Judy ran the number through the built-in computer in their car.

"Dang, the location is encrypted." Judy said, with a hint of annoyance.

"Fangmeyer can handle it, right?"

"Yeah, let's take it to him." Judy started up the engine and drove back to the precinct.

* * *

"A week?!" Judy asked, desperate for Fangmeyer to say anything else.

"At the earliest." Fangmeyer replied. "I've never seen anything this heavily encrypted before. Give me time, and it'll get done."

"Alright, I'll go let Nick know." she said, forcing a smile. "Thank you."

"No problem."

Judy left Fangmeyer's office and returned to the one her and Nick shared. Nick snapped his attention to the door when Judy walked in. "Well, he says it's going to take at least two weeks to get the location for the number decrypted." Judy said to Nick.

"And, it's one thirty-two right now, and our shift ends at four." Nick replied. "Paperwork's probably going to take that long. As soon as we are done, we can get ready for our date tonight."

"Ok, then. Let's get cracking."

After Nick and Judy had finished the paperwork due for that day, Nick took Judy to her apartment, and returned to his to get ready for their date. Nick will get Judy at six, plenty of time for the rabbit to prepare.

But nothing could have prepared either of them mentally for what would happen…


	2. Just A Date

**Chapter 2 - Just A Date**

-

5:58

Nick walked up the stairs to Judy's apartment, ready as ever to take her out on a date. The fear of embarrassment tried to fight the desire to simply do something for her, but he never stopped moving forward. He was wearing a white dress shirt under a dark green vest with a pair of black jeans. He had brushed his fur and cleaned up a little bit before going over to Judy's place. He knocked on her apartment door, waiting to see what beauty waited on the other side. He heard Judy walk up to the door, and as she opened it, he was greeted with those stunning amethyst eyes. Judy was wearing a sky blue dress with sparkles all over it. Her ears were perked up, and she looked as happy as ever. Nick began to feel slightly choked up again.

"Hey, Nick!" she greeted.

"Hi." Nick said to Judy with a lump in his throat. "You look beautiful."

"Aw, thanks." She replied, grateful for the compliment. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks, Carrots." That one compliment relieved almost all his stress. "Want to get going?" He asked her with the gesture of his hand towards the car.

Judy nodded, and they walked back to the car Nick left running. As soon as they got in the car, Nick pressed the 'play' button. Her smile turned to surprise almost instantly.

 **"I'll be the last one standing  
Two hands in the air, I'm a champion  
You'll be looking up at me when it's over  
I live for the battle, I'm a soldier, yeah"**

"How'd you know I've been listening to this nonstop since it came out a week ago?" Judy asked, very astonished at Nick's song choice.

"Just had a hunch is all." he replied with a smirk.

"A hunch, eh?" She smirked back.

"Okay, I've been stalking your Furbook updates," he admitted, still smiling without remorse. Judy chuckled and continued listening to the song.

 **"I've been working my whole life  
And now it's do or die"**

Judy now started to sing with it, nodding her head at the same time.

 **"I am invincible, unbreakable  
Unstoppable, unshakeable  
They knock me down, I get up again"**

Nick decided to sing along as well.

 **"I am the champion  
You're gonna know my name  
You can't hurt me now  
I can't feel the pain  
I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win  
I am the champion"**

Judy and Nick sang the tune all the way to the restaurant. Nick loved it, and he knew Judy loved it. Nick turned into the parking lot of the Olive Garden restaurant. Judy was just as excited now as she was this morning. Going on a date with Nick was something she really wanted, and it had been a while since they have been out. She could barely remember the last date they were on. The restaurant wasn't as crowded as she had anticipated; it was only a little more than half full. Nick held the door open for Judy, and she looked slightly shocked at his gesture. Was she expecting it? Should she have been expecting it?

"Wow, you're a real gentleman today." Judy complimented Nick.

"Anything for my bun-bun." Nick replied.

Judy smiled and gave him a light jab at the arm. All Nick could do was smile at the rabbit. His rabbit, at least for the night.

 _"Maybe she'll be my rabbit forever."_ Nick thought to himself.

They went up to the counter where the panther waitress stood.

"Hi. Table for two, name 'Sly Fox.' Nick said to the panther, and then looked to Judy, giving her his signature smirk. She rolled her eyes playfully at him.

"Right this way, sir." The panther said. She walked to the left, and he and Judy followed.

The panther laid their menus down at a table next to the window with two seats on each end. Outside the window was a very lively part of Zootopia. Bright, beautiful lights, mammals out and about, and the sunset was truly dazzling, stretching right down the street from the horizon. It was truly a nice place to be at the time of day.

"Thanks." Nick said to the waiter as they sat down.

"My pleasure." She replied. "Jason will be with you shortly."

Nick and Judy sat comfortably and glanced at their menus. While Judy tried to figure out what she was craving, Nick looked over at his date, almost like he was stuck in a trance. She was truly beautiful. He really had it all! A great job at the ZPD, the best partner a cop could ask for, and now the best bunny in the world for a date! He just hoped he wouldn't goof it up.

As traditional Italian music played softly through the air and mammals enjoyed themselves, the night grew on, and all went well. A family of five with three little kids was playing Tic-Tac-Toe on a coloring-sheet. Couples were opening bottles of wine or having to sadly turn down dessert due to their being no room for more. Even with the commotion, it was oddly peaceful and quiet.

Nick and Judy's waiter Jason, a gazelle, came with a notepad and pen to take their orders for them.

"What would you like, ma'am?" the gazelle asked Judy.

She took one last look at the menu to confirm what she wanted.

"Looking for carrots, Carrots?" Nick teased.

Judy looked up from the menu with a smile that Nick knew all too well, the one that says, "are you serious?" followed by a jab to the arm if she were in reach. Judy didn't reply and instead gave her order to the waiter. The gazelle turned to Nick, and he gave his request as well.

After Jason left with their orders, the couple quickly wracked their brains for something to talk about, having the first ten minutes of the date been mostly of what food to get for dinner. Judy drummed her fingers on the tables as she played the song over in her head, and Nick stared out the window without really looking. Why was it suddenly so hard to talk?

"So," Judy said, trying to get the ball rolling. "Uh… do you remember that one case where the buffalo and the coyote got in a car-crash by the stop-sign?"

Nick perked up at having something to talk about and said, "Yeah! I was about to buy the coyote's story about it not being his fault! And then you pulled out that video!"

Judy laughed and said, "What was it you said? I'd be…"

"You'd make a great con-woman!" Nick laughed. "And I meant it. Do you remember that one case where the tiger got all drunk?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm glad we were able to stop him from hurting his wife!"

The topic of old cases, theirs or not, stretched past when their dinner came and as they ate. It was easy to go from one case to another topic, and then when they ran out of things to say, they talked about cases again. Nick's shrimp Alfredo and Judy's veggie-and-bean soup filled them up and when their waiter came back to pick up requests for dessert, it was out of the question.

"Wow!" Judy said. "That was really good! Thanks, Nick!"

"Anytime, Carrots." Nick said and looked at her carefully to try to pick up any lies. "You having a good time?"

"Yeah! I'm having a great time! Especially since I'm with you." She added with a blush.

Nick tried to hold down his blush as he smiled and said, "Well, I'm glad. Thanks for going out with me." After he said that, an idea hatched inside his head. _'Why not take Judy to the park?'_

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Judy replied, giving back a sincere smile.

"Ready to get going?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm ready." she replied, "No reason to stay any longer, I guess." Judy seemed a little disappointed.

"Don't worry, I got an extra surprise for you," Nick said, trying to lift her spirits.

"Ooh, a surprise?" Judy was already interested.

"That's right, bunny-boo. I have a little something else for you," Nick said, winking at his date, perfectly aware of the rhyme.

After Nick got the receipt and his card back, they left the restaurant to return to their vehicle and left the parking lot. Judy noticed he was driving to her place, or at least they'd go past it. Nick pulled into the empty parking lot next to the Savannah Central Park, took a space among the otherwise vacant parking, and shut off the car.

"What's this?" Judy asked.

"Your surprise," he answered. "An evening in the warm summer air surrounded by trees and accompanied by your favorite fox," Nick declared. "I figured we could walk around the path a few times and just talk for a little bit."

"That sounds great!" Judy wanted more time with Nick, and this is just what she was hoping for. Dinner was just not enough for her. Not enough Nick for the evening. "You're so sweet, Nick."

"Ah, it's just me being Nick." he said with a smile.

They started to walk on the path up the hill. The air was warm, accompanied by a slight breeze, and the scent of trees filled the park. Cars were driving in the distance, but could barely be heard over the quiet and charming neighborhood they were in. Only a few lights in the nearby buildings were on, and the overhead lights lit the park's path well. The moon was full that night, and Nick couldn't resist her beauty in the moonlight.

Nick and Judy both remained wordless for the short distance they walked, but Judy's mind bounced all over the place, and at one point, landed on what Nick might be thinking of. _'What's he thinking about? The case? Our dinner? Me?'_ The thought made Judy blush. _'Was I on his mind every day? Every moment? It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?'_ She was just about to ask him when,

"So, how often do you think about me?" Nick asked, catching Judy off-guard.

"I – I was just about to ask you the same thing." Judy replied, a little nervous. "I guess, a lot. More than I care to admit."

"I think I can say the same about you, Carrots." Nick replied with a smile that told Judy he was honest. No jokes, no sly fox acts, just him.

"Nick, you're the sweetest." Judy said with a genuine voice.

"Aw, you're my sweet bunny, too." Nick reached in and gave her a little hug, and Judy hugged back. That small gesture let Nick know she appreciated it.

The two walked on the path and just let the calm, ambient atmosphere surround them with serenity. They were happy being with one another; no more words needed to be said. They understood each other, and it was all they wanted. Judy was yet again stuck on the decision of what to do when they work on their missing mammal case. She remembered that movies and real cases alike often place the culprit in a warehouse or abandoned building, usually late on rent, or sometimes not one payment made. Evil masterminds just constructing their devious plans in a place they have no right to have.

"Nick?" She started.

"Yeah?" Nick replied.

"About our current case with the ferret, what if he's in an old building? Or in a warehouse being held hostage? It's just as cliché as the movies, so I think it's a viable option."

Nick snapped his fingers. "You're right, Carrots!" He was excited at this new idea Judy had. "We should get another search warrant from Bogo, and check buildings that haven't made payments in a while."

"Exactly! And if he's not, the number we gave to Fangmeyer will probably lead us right to him, or even his kidnapper."

"Looks like we're gonna be looking in old, smelly buildings and warehouses for a lost ferret tomorrow." Nick joked.

"Wolford told me the ferret's brother is concerned for him. We'll contact him first when we find Ridley." Judy said, optimistic about finding him. "And I think I'm about ready to call it a night. Our shift is even earlier tomorrow, and I'm already feeling tired." Judy wanted a little more time with Nick, but their early shift was in the way.

"Okay, I'll take you home. It is getting late, after all." Nick said to Judy, perfectly okay with her wanting to hit the hay a little early.

"Actually, Nick…" Judy wasn't sure about her question. "Can we walk there?"

"Of course! Anything for you, Carrots." Nick said with sincerity.

"Thanks, Nick." Judy was truly grateful for his consideration.

"And I mean it." he added on. Judy looked up at him when he said this. "I'd do anything for you. Anything to keep you happy, anything to keep you safe."

"Aww. I'd do the same for you. Anything. I'll be there for you if you need me."

"Thanks, Carrots."

It was about quarter of a mile from where they were at to Judy's place, but Nick didn't mind walking all the way there and back. On the way there, not another word was spoken between them. They relished in the ambient sound and just the simple presence of each other.

They walked up the stairs to her apartment, and Judy opened the door "Thanks again, Nick. For everything." Judy said to Nick with a smile.

"No problem, Carrots." he replied. "This was fun. I loved it. We gotta do it again sometime."

"Sure thing. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

"Alright, bun-bun. You get your beauty sleep, and I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7:00. And this time, I won't be late. Mark my words." Nick played.

"Oka, sly fox." Judy decided to play too. "Don't stay up too late, or you just might be."

"Good night, Carrots." Nick started to walk down the stairs.

"Night, Nick." Judy closed the door to her apartment, and Nick headed back to the patrol car.

Judy felt she needed a shower before heading to bed. Just a little relaxation before bed. "Mmm, nice, hot water…" she thought to herself.

* * *

After an hour's long shower, Judy got in her nightgown, turned on the news, and would leave it on until she was tired enough to actually sleep.

On her back, on the couch, she was browsing through Furbook. Cooking recipies, why this movie is good, why this one is bad, 13 mammals without common sense, mostly things she could do without on her feed. She received a text from Nick, startling her by breaking the monotony of mindlessly browsing through her updates.

 _"Excited for tomorrow, looking in buildings and all that?"_ the text read.

It was nice to see a text from Nick, even after their date.

 _"Aren't you supposed to be in bed? Remember our early shift?"_

 _"I'm only texting for a little bit. Then I'll sleep ;)"_

 _"Okay, Nicky :P Yes, I'm excited about tomorrow"_

 _"I had an idea for a place we could look in"_

 _"Where?"_

 _"You know that building near the coffee shop? the worn-down one that looks older than that theater?"_

 _"Yeah. You wanna look there?"_

 _"I've heard strange noises coming from it. I think someone is hiding something in there. I don't like it"_

 _"Guess we'll check there tomorrow"_

 _"Yup :D"_

The news suddenly caught Judy's attention. The moose anchormammal was reporting of events that happened today. Specifically, late that day. "This just in, a white fox was brought in for the suspected robbery of chemicals in the local laboratory, Bio-Zoo, just a few hours ago. He is currently in custody and will be interrogated next morning."

As the newsanchors continued to report, Judy became enthralled with what was he planning to do with those chemicals. Experiments on himself? On others? In the middle of her pondering, Nick texted again.

 _"U watching the news? White fox just took some chemicals."_

 _"Yeah. Don't know what he wants with them. Maybe we can question him tomorrow"_

 _"Ohhh, YEAHHH!"_

 _"Sounds like you're excited :D"_

 _"I am XD I wanna do that good cop/bad cop thing"_

 _"Let me guess, bad cop, right?"_

After that, Nick's texts ceased. Judy waited. And waited. Waited for almost 5 minutes, and Nick still didn't reply. Judy knew she was tired, but just wanted to see a reply from Nick. It wasn't like him to not reply to her, even if he had to go or decided to go to sleep…

"Ack…"

Judy felt something solid strike her face, stinging her nose. It was her own phone. She had been holding her phone above her, starring at it for so long, that she nodded off and dropped her phone on her own face. And it kinda hurt. "Might as well get some sleep..." she muttered to herself with a sigh and shut off the TV. She headed into her room, still dazed, and climbed into bed. "He probably just dozed off." Judy thought to herself. As soon as that thought left her mind, she lied down and slumbered until the next day.


	3. Kidnapped

**Chapter 3 - Kidnapped**

-

Judy woke up around 6:15, and her shift with Nick was at 8:00 today. She checked her phone. A couple of new messages, but none of them were from Nick. No missed calls either. She sent him a text just to see if he would reply. "You up yet?" the text read. Something about this was unsettling to her. She decided no shower was necessary because she took one last night, and instead lay in her bed to rest for a little bit with the radio playing.

She checked her phone almost every thirty seconds, with no reply. She just couldn't stop wondering what exactly was going on with Nick. Sleeping in and going to bed early didn't fit, as he was a nighttime mammal. And he always told her when he had to abstain from replying, or if he was going anywhere, especially to sleep. Either way, his sudden nonexistence was anything but normal.

After her rest, Judy got ready for work, and was waiting outside her apartment for Nick, but he hasn't come despite being an hour late. Nick? An HOUR late?! He might be a fox, but this was becoming bizarre. He hadn't replied since last night, won't pick up or return her calls, just overall nonexistent.

"Something is definitely wrong." Judy said to herself. A call came in to her phone. She pulled it frantically from her pocket, hoping it was Nick. It was Chief Bogo, no doubt enraged by the fact that she and her partner were nowhere to be seen.

"Hello?" Judy asked, a little nervous.

"Where are you, Hopps?! You're over an hour late! Where's Wilde?" Bogo yelled, clearly pissed.

"Sir, I haven't been able to get a hold of him." Judy replied, the gravity of the situation hitting her hard. "H-he hasn't replied to my texts or picked up my calls since last night. I've tried countless times today to get some form of reply, but nothing is working. Chief, something is wrong." The doe's voice started to crack. Her concern for Nick was escalating.

"I'll send Wolford right over to pick you up, and you two head over to Wilde's place, alright?" Bogo replied, a little more sympathetic this time.

"Thank you, sir." Judy ended the call, and waited for Wolford to arrive at her place.

As Judy was considering what Nick was up to, the only other thing on her mind was their date. They hadn't gone on anything like a date in a while, but she still saw him almost every day. Now, after a date she won't soon forget, Nick appears to have left.

"Why would he leave?" Judy thought to herself. "Even if it was immediate, urgent, family care, he'd still let me know that I wouldn't be able to contact him." Under no circumstances would Nick be absent and NOT let Judy know why.

Wolford took only about eight minutes to get there, but to Judy, it felt much longer. The anxiety over Nick's absence was getting to her. She rushed to the other side of the car, opened the door, and hopped in the passenger seat.

"What's going on with Nick?" Wolford asked as she closed the door and buckled herself in.

"I don't know, Will. I haven't heard anything from him since last night. I've called countless times with no answer. I'm worried about him."

"Hmm, that's odd." the canine said, attempting to figure out in his head what the deal with Nick may be.

"Bogo wants us to go to his place to see what is going on."

"Alright. We'll head over there."

Nick's place wasn't like a traditional apartment complex. Instead, it was just one tall building next to others on the block, with two-way street leading to a large parking lot in the center of the block. Wolford drove into the parking and took a space in the row closest to the building. The patrol car was still there. He hadn't driven it anywhere. Nick and Judy each had extra keys that they traded each other a while ago, so if they needed Nick needed to go to Judy's place, or vice versa.

"I'll wait in the car. If you need me, just holler or give me a call."

"Okay." she replied and continued into the building.

Judy walked into the main hall. The whole place was dimly it and pale, making it clear it had not aged well at all. At the counter was a male, grey wolf. She already knew where Nick lived, but she had a question for the wolf.

"Hi." she greeted. "A red fox named Nick Wilde lives here. Do you know him?" Judy asked the wolf.

"Yeah, he's the guy that occasionally brings you over, right?" He replied.

"Yeah, that's me." Judy said with a nod. "When was the last time you saw him?"

The wolf thought for a moment and then said, "Last night at around, I think 8:30 it was? Yeah, 8:30."

'Right after he dropped me off.' Judy thought. "Anything strange happen between then and now?" she asked the wolf.

This last question seemed to unsettle the wolf. Thinking hard on the night before, he said slowly, "I heard… things crashing and maybe some groaning. I went up to the door, I knocked and asked, 'Are you okay?' and I hear him reply with 'Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just… tripped.' His voice was raspy and sounded almost nervous, I asked again, 'Are you sure you're alright?' and he said he was doing fine, so I thought nothing about it. Is… something wrong?" The wolf asked the doe with a hint of concern.

"I hope not…" Judy replied with a sigh, and walked towards Nick's room, right next to the exit. "May I check his room?" she asked, turning her head towards the desk.

"Certainly. You need a key?" he asked.

"I got one." Judy replied as she headed up the stairs to Nick's room. She distinctly remembered it as the one on the second floor, four doors down from the stairwell.

She walked up to the door and knocked. "Nick? It's me! We're late for work!" she called out. No response. "Hello?" she asked again. Still nothing. She then took the key off her belt and unlocked the door.

The creak of the door echoed through the room. Judy was left in shock when she saw the inside. The apartment was a wreck. The tabletop lamp was knocked over, scuff marks on the floors and walls, the coffee table was now knocked over, and… his phone. It was in the middle of the floor near the couch. Judy slowly walked over to it and picked it up. She pressed the power button on the side. The phone had scratches and cracks on it, but it still worked. Judy had once peeked at Nick as he unlocked it, so it was easy to remember.

On the other side of the lock, it was on Judy's text profile with all the "please respond" texts and missed call notification she sent earlier in the morning. She scrolled up a little, there was Nick's last text he sent to her, and her last reply from that night. He didn't just nod off or go to bed without telling her; Nick was kidnapped. "Oh god…" she whispered to herself. Judy placed the phone back where it was and rushed back down the stairs, careful not to trip. She bolted out the front door and found Wolford leaning against the car.

"Will, Nick's been kidnapped!" she exclaimed, her heart now racing. "His place is a mess, there's scratches on the walls, and his phone, it… it hasn't been touched since last night." Judy could feel her voice cracking, the tears starting to well up.

"Wait, slow down." Wolford said to her. "Nick's gone?"

"Yes! Someone took him."

Wolford remained speechless, thinking to himself.

"What do we do, Will?" Judy asked apprehensively.

"Hmm… I'm not sure." Wolford replied as he started pacing around, clearly in thought.

He looked up almost by instinct, and saw security camera on the wall, broken off the frame and hanging on by nothing more than its cord.

"Judy, look." he said as he pointed to the camera.

"It… looks like it was hit with something! The ZPD will have footage of it!"

"Alright, let's go!" Wolford said with eagerness and hopped into the car.

"I'll take mine!" Judy called out as she got into the vehicle she and Nick shared.

* * *

Once they arrived, they swiftly made their way to Wolford's office on the second floor. As soon as they were in, they turned on the lights and the wolf fired up his computer and immediately got to work on finding the camera they saw. Judy sat on a small stack of books he had on his desk, watching him work.

As she waited, the doe pulled out her phone and looked at Nick's text profile. She didn't expect anything to change, but she was praying in her mind that it was all a bad dream. It can't be happening, it just can't…

"Got it!" Will exclaimed quietly.

"Okay, let's start with… yesterday at five o'clock." Wolford acknowledged and entered the info corresponding to a day ago at five PM, to the next morning at eight AM. Judy slowly scrolled the bar to the left until she saw Nick exit the building. "There's Nick."

"He cleans up good, doesn't he?" Will smirked. Judy ignored him and continued watching the screen. Nick left the building, got in the car, and exited the parking lot. An hour and a half of watching animals walking in and out of the building went on, until the camera went to static. It was clearly hit with something. Judy scrolled back and saw a figure come around the corner. It threw something at the camera, damaging it and ending the video. She dragged the slider back again and paused it as the mammal raised its arm. It was a medium-sized animal, about Nick's height, but had some more mass, most likely in muscle.

"Got to admit, that was a nice throw." Wolford stated.

"Let's see if we can't get a better picture." She clicked the camera icon next to the current one, and the selected camera changed. This one was focused on the outside of the block, and the mysterious mammal walked from the right side of the block towards the parking lot entrance. He kept his face hidden as much as possible with a hat and trench coat, but that didn't go as he had planned. A car came to the corner a little too fast and the tires squealed as it tried to desperately slow down. Their suspect put up his hands in annoyance and backed towards the corner of the apartment building. His head was raised just high enough for the camera to catch his face.

"Got him!" Judy exclaimed. "Now, what is he? It'll definitely help with naming him."

"I think it's a raccoon." Wolford replied. "See the tail? Bushy and with dark rings around it." Judy then thought of Nick's tail, but shoved that thought away to prevent her from getting moody. She had to focus if she were to find him. "You're certain?" she asked.

"Positive." Wolford replied. Just then, they heard the buffalo call their names.

"Hopps! Wolford!" Bogo called out to them. He stepped inside the office, seeming frustrated. "Where's Wilde?"

"We believe he's been kidnapped, sir." Judy stated. "His apartment is a mess, his phone was left there, and we're certain that this raccoon is involved." She pointed at the screen, and Bogo stepped closer. "We believe he broke into Nick's place and took him, and we don't know where. We're going to let the computer scan the database for this mammal." Bogo took a closer look at the mammal, letting out a small growl as he observed it.

"I'd say while the computer runs the search, go look for any places Wilde might be." the buffalo said to the two officers. "Ask some friends or neighbors."

"I suppose it's all we can do for now…" Judy agreed.

"Does Nick, you know, have friends outside the ZPD?" the wolf hesitantly asked.

"I know one, but we'll have to find him first." Judy replied

"Well, get on it." Bogo said to them. Wolford set the computer to run a database match for the raccoon, and he and Judy quickly made their way back to the parking garage.

"Change your frequency to 43.3!" Wolford called out from across the lot as they both headed for their separate vehicles.

"You got it!" she called back. As soon as she got into the car and turned it on, she changed the scanner frequency to 43.3, which was one of the private channels reserved for special operations. "This is Officer Hopps, is Officer Wolford there, Over?

"…Hopps. You there, Hopps?" he asked as his voice emerged from the static.

"Loud and clear, Will. I want you to head for the preds bar on 34th street. He sometimes goes with friends on the weekends."

"Copy that, Hopps. Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna look for another friend. friend." Judy placed the radio back in the mount and exited the parking lot to look for Finnick's van.

* * *

Judy had been searching all over Savannah Central for Finn's van for the past half hour, with no luck. Would Finnick even know what happened? The evidence suggested Nick was taken against his own will, and Judy knew that, but if Nick DID go somewhere without telling Judy and LEFT his phone in his messy apartment, Finnick might have at least a clue of where he might be. If not, he might know of some unfriendly relations Nick might've had in the past that led up to this. Though to her, it was arbitrary. She was just trying to pass the time while the computer searched for their prime suspect.

"I checked the bar, he's not there." Wolford said through the radio. "What now? Over."

"Hmm… okay, I need you to look for a Lobos Z1 van, brown with a picture painted on the side. Very unique, you can't miss it. It belongs to a friend of Nick named Finnick. Over.

"Roger that, Hopps. Over and out."

She moved on to Tundratown, and the fennec fox wasn't there either. She even checked where she found him and Nick preparing popsicles. That area was now big snow mound now. He clearly hadn't been making them since Judy hustled him into helping him find Otterton. She saw Finnick occasionally, but not enough to warrant sharing a method of contact with him.

As the light turned green and Judy drove through the intersection, she saw the van she had been looking for. Slamming on her brakes and making a quick u-turn, she made it back to the intersection to follow the fox. He went straight through, and Judy turned right to follow him. He then turned into an alley and parked his van.

"I've found him, Wolford. Standby for further instructions, over." she said into the radio.

"Copy that, Hopps. Over." he replied.

The doe then parked her car on the side of the road and crossed the street to the van. She walked up to the van just as it was shutting off. She nervously knocked on the back door. A few seconds later, it burst open.

"WHO... oh. It's you." the fox said to her, holding a baseball bat in his hand. "What do you need?"

"Nick's gone." she started. "I haven't seen him since last night. He offered me a date, and we went out last night. Later that night, we were texting each other, and his texts stopped coming. This morning, I, I found his apartment a mess, and his phone on the floor, opened on my profile. He was… taken. Kidnapped." Every time Judy uttered that word, she got more and more anxious.

"So he actually did it this time." The fennec fox analyzed her words carefully. He looked slightly concerned, but still kept his cool. "Any idea who or what took him?" he asked Judy.

She was concerned about his reply. "All I know is a raccoon is the prime suspect. The computer at the station is scanning for him now. I just had to know if you knew who might've taken him, or even where he might be. And what do you mean he 'did it'?"

"I'm not sure where he's gone, but he's been talking about taking you on a date for months now." Finnick replied. "We met up almost every Thursday, and for maybe two months, he's been telling me about how badly he wanted to take you out, and each day after, he'd tell me how he let fear get the best of him. Last week, we met up on Sunday, and he told me he wouldn't give in this time. He was determined to ask, and I guess he kept his word."

Judy could remember how nervous Nick was about asking her. "Really?" she asked him, slightly blushing.

"That's right, rabbit. He cares for you like nothing I've ever seen. I think he likes you a little too much."

Judy's heart almost melted at his reply. Judy knew Nick cared for her, but she never thought THIS much. It was already relieving stress for her.

"Okay. Thank you, Finnick." Judy said with a sincere heart.

"Don't mention it, Hopps. And now that I think about it, I know a few raccoons. I'll ask and see if they know anything or maybe did it themselves. Can I take your number so I can contact you if I find anything?"

"Oh, sure." she replied and recited her number to him.

"Okay, I'll send you a text so you can save mine, ok?" he asked

"Alright." she replied. "Thanks again."

"Mm-hm." he replied, shutting the van door.

* * *

Judy and Wolford met back up near a park in Savannah Central. "You didn't find him?" she asked Will.

"Nothing." he replied.

Judy sighed at the bad news. "Well, what do you suppose we do now?"

I'm thinking…." Wolford started pacing around the paved sidewalk, thinking hard on what to do.

Judy heard her phone ringing, and slid it out of the pocket. It was a blocked number. She didn't know what to expect on the other side, but she answered it. "Hello?" she asked.

"Judy…" The voice was distressed and scared, but it was her partner.

"Nick?!" Judy asked as her began heart racing like a bullet. Her partner was still alive.

"Judy, no time. In the, AGH!" Judy heard crashing and struggling. Nick and another mammal were fighting. "Judy!" he yelled.

"Nick? Nick?!" The line went dead. She was immediately consumed by fear. He was trying to tell her where he was. But it was too late. He's in trouble, and she can't help him. "Oh my God…" Judy said, covering her mouth, about to cry.

"Was that him?" Wolford asked with distress in his own voice.

"Yes." Judy said with tears already flowing. Her partner, her friend, was in trouble. And she couldn't do anything. "We have to find him!"

"Okay, save the call details, and we'll take it back to the precinct and have someone decrypt it. Oh, Fangmeyer can do it. We'll take my car."

"Come with me." Will led Judy to his car, and Judy got in the passenger seat while he drove. He shifted gears and took off rapidly.

Judy tried to call back the blocked number. She dialed for the first time. No answer. "Come on." she murmured as she tried it again. Still a dead line. Third time's the charm, right? Not today. She tried again with no luck, and eventually gave up. With each attempt, her fear and questions elevated. The fear consumed her every thought. 'Is he still okay? Is he hurt? What is happening to him? Is he even still in the city? Will I find him?' Will I see him again? Those questions hurt Judy on the inside. She can barely maintain Nick's simple absence. To know that he may be in trouble or even hurt without confirmation of his well-being, it was eating Judy alive from the inside.

She let out a small whimper as the tears rolled down her face and onto her suit. "Nick…" she whispered. Those beautiful purple eyes were filled with sadness and anguish. Wolford looked over, and noticed the poor bunny looking out her window, clearly in pain. He wanted to say something to her, but didn't know if he should. He didn't know if she'd get defensive over his reassurance. He barely knew her, and she barely knew him. The only other person she knew well besides Nick was Clawhauser, but his job was the receptionist, not detective, so Bogo couldn't really assign him to help her.

They pulled into the precinct car lot, and they both rushed into the building. Judy was running as fast as she could. She made it to the middle of the hall before she slipped and fell. She let out a small grunt when she hit the ground and slid across the smooth floor. Wolford hurried over and helped her up. Judy limped for a couple yards, then started running again. She had to get to Fangmeyer as soon as possible.

"You okay, Judy? Where you going so fast?" Clawhauser asked her after the fall she had. She was still limping a little.

"Not now Ben." Judy said quickly as she ran past the front desk. He looked on, but she was too far away for him to ask again. Wolford was still near, so Ben asked him.

"What's going on?" Ben showed a hint of concern.

"I'll tell you in a little bit." Wolford replied.

"Is Judy okay? She looks scared."

Wolford hesitated on that answer, but continued to answer. "I don't know. I'll tell you what it's about shortly." Wolford continued running down the hall to catch up with Judy. Clawhauser looked down the hall one last time, then returned to his duties.

Judy bolted up the stairs, this time being careful not to trip. Fangmeyer's office was at the end of the hall, but she made it there in record time, before Wolford even made it up the stairs. She anxiously knocked on the door. Wolford managed to almost make it there before Fangmeyer answered.

"Oh, hey Hopps. Need something?" Fangmeyer asked.

"Nick's gone missing, and I got a call from a blocked number. It was him. He sounded distressed, an-and I think he was using someone else's phone to contact me. Can you decrypt this?" Judy held up her phone with the details on the last call she received.

"Piece of cake." he replied proudly. "Come on in."

As Fangmeyer got to work on tracing it and Wolford watched, trying to pick up a few hints on decrypting, Judy was pacing back and forth in the office. Ever since that call came in, she held this concerned look on her face. She was nibbling her claws, thumping her foot, doing all the nervous ticks anyone could expect from a rabbit. It was driving Wolford crazy. After for possibly the 50th time Judy walked across the room, he got up to talk to her. She didn't seem to notice him walk over, and when he touched her shoulder, she jumped a bit.

"You're driving me nuts." the wolf said with sternness. "You need to calm down."

"But I'm too concerned for Nick." she stated with the same anxiety from earlier. "He's in trouble, and I can't do anything about it. How will I know if he's hurt or-or locked up or if I'll ever find him again. What if I…"

"Hey, hey, hey. Hey!" Wolford said the last one with firmness, but still in a quiet voice. Now she let him speak. "We'll find him, alright? I will do everything in my power to make sure he comes back safe. I will do all I can to get him back to you. But for now," Wolford inhaled to keep his calm. "just relax, okay?" Judy just gave him a nod and gave him a small smile.

"Okay…" she let out in a quiet, almost defeated voice.

"Got it!" Fangmeyer yelled. Judy and Will both rushed over to the desk. "File's decrypted. It's the same as the one you gave me yesterday. The one you retrieved from the ferret's apartment."

"But…. how?" Judy asked, somewhat in disbelief. "What are the odds?"

"Very low, but not impossible. I'm still working on decrypting the location. Progress is as expected, about five or six more days."

"Nice work, Fangmeyer." Wolford said to the tiger.

"Thank you for your help." Judy followed up.

"No problem. Oh, yeah," Fangmeyer announced, "Bogo wanted to see you guys when you got back. In his office."

"Alright." Judy replied. "Thanks again." she said back to Fangmeyer on her way out.

"Anytime." he replied. The tiger looked back at the screen to continue deciphering the number's location.

Judy and Wolford exited the room and walked down the hall to stairs. Judy knew it was almost guaranteed that Bogo wouldn't let her be on the case. The guidelines forbid it. Negative emotions disrupt good judgement, even if she doesn't want to admit it. She was determined to change his mind, however daunting it may be.

Inside Bogo's office, he was sitting at his desk with his glasses on, a small stack of paper in front of him, and a pen in his hoof. He looked up as they entered the room.

"Find anything?" the buffalo asked the two. Wolford could sense Judy wasn't feeling apt to talk, so he spoke for her.

"Officer Wilde was no doubt kidnapped." the wolf said to his chief. "Judy received a call from a blocked number, and it was him. His voice was distressed and fearful. The line went dead before he could give us any details as to where he is. The number that the call came from is linked to the case of Ridley Mark."

Judy knew where the number came from, so she spoke up as well. "The missing ferret had a note with a number on it inside his place of residence. Fangmeyer was deciphering that one for me already, and the number that called me is the same one. He says about five or six more days.

"Anything else?" the buffalo asked. He was taking it all in and carefully analyzing it.

"Hopps?" Wolford looked over and asked her. She knew Nick best, but she had nothing to add at the moment.

"No, sir." Judy answered.

Bogo sighed, and removed his glasses. "I know what you're gonna ask, and my answer is no."

"But-" she started.

"Hopps, you know the rules." he said sternly. "However… I can offer evaluation after you take a week's leave. If I believe your are emotionally stable enough after that week, I'll let you on the case with Wolford.

Judy was not satisfied with this answer. She wanted to find Nick now. His unclear condition demanded it. "But sir…"

"No buts." he stated firmly, raising his hoof. "You're lucky I'm even considering it as it is. Don't push it, Hopps."

Judy immediately submitted to her commanding officer. "Thank you, sir."

"Wolford, you may continue your duties." Bogo said. "Hopps, head home and find something to pass the time." Both of them nodded and exited the office. Judy had to ask something of Wolford before they went their separate ways.

"Will?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit yet again.

"Yes, Hopps?"

"Please find him for me."

"I will do everything all I can. We WILL get him back."

Judy felt a wave of hope. Small, but it was still there. "Okay. Thank you."

"No problem, Judy."

Judy and Wolford took the elevator back down, and the both walked past the front desk. Clawhauser was still waiting for answers.

"Judy, is everything okay?" Clawhauser asked, showing true concern for her. Judy didn't want to talk about Nick's condition, but she felt she must.

"Don't sweat it. I'll let him know what's up." Wolford said to Judy, relieving her of the emotional stress. "You need a ride back?"

"No, I'll walk. I think I could use one. It's not really that far anyhow." Judy said to him, her voice drained of emotion.

"Alright." he replied. She exited the building and made her way back home.

* * *

Judy still felt pain in her hip when she fell, but she could still walk fine. She had tried a few different things to keep her mind occupied. She went to a few stores on the blocks on her way back, but each time, she felt anguish over anything but simply walking. She stopped at the park as well and waited on a bench until sunset. There wasn't anything to do that would satisfy her grief. She continued back to her apartment. The car was too far from where she was, but the precinct will take care of it.

She unlocked the door, and her apartment was whole new kind of depressing, a kind even she couldn't understand. It hit her like a sonic wave. Her apartment was similar to Nick's in many ways, and all she could remember was how she found his apartment; a mess with claw marks the floor and walls, and his broken phone. Just on the floor.

She had a framed picture of Nick on her end table. It was his first day on the job, and they took a selfie in the middle of the precinct. Judy remembered that day like it was yesterday despite it being a year ago. Now all she could think of was the call she got from him. 'He's in trouble, and I can't help him. Can anyone help him?' Judy could barely hold in her emotions anymore, and the music left on the radio from that morning wasn't helping.

 _ **"When I am down, and - oh my soul - so weary  
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be  
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence  
Until you come and sit awhile with me**_

 _ **You raise me up so I can stand on mountains  
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas  
I am strong when I am on your shoulders  
You raise me up to more than I can be"**_

Judy quickly shut off the device, and took a deep breath. She did not want to let the music get to her. Instead, she went into her room and changed into something more comfortable.

After that, she turned on the TV, flipped around the channels, and then left it alone to browse through her phone to pass the time. She saw an active conversation in one of her group chats. Judy thought maybe their conversation will take her mind off of her sadness. Most of it was boys' nonsense, and then something else caught her eye. A group message from a friend of hers and Nick's, Daniel Russell.

 _"You guys won't guess what I did today."_ Russell's message said.

 _"What?"_ came the reply from 3 different people in the group.

 _"I met this pretty girl today. Her name is Robin. Great name, huh?"_ Russell messaged.

 _"It's odd but I suppose so."_ came a reply from another mammal. Most of their profile pictures looked the same, and Judy didn't care to look at the names.

 _"We're gonna meet tomorrow at the nearby café I got myself a date!"_

 _"Just don't screw it up like ya did the last one :D"_

 _"HEY that wasn't me! She was the one yelled at the waiter for not getting her order how she wanted :P"_

 _"Whatever"_

 _"Suuuure it was :D"_

 _"You guys suck :P"_ Russell replied.

The friendly banter barely enlightened Judy, so she shut her phone off, and stared mindlessly at the television. It was just some dumb movie with a thin plot she didn't care for. It was just something to listen to while she slowly drifted into sleep. The emotional ordeal she went through today made that easy. The TV had an automatic midnight shutoff, so it'd turn itself off long after she falls asleep.

* * *

 __

 _Fear_

 _-_

 _Misery_

 _-_

 _Black_

 _-_

 _Cold_

 _-_

 _The room was cold and dark, the floor hard as stone. Not like the warm wood of Judy's apartment floor. She sat up in confusion, and looked around for an explanation, but none existed. "Hello?" she called out. Her voice echoed, but there was no reply. A light burst from behind her. It lit up a small part of the room, while the rest remained black, and it was quite dirty. Chipped tile, broken chairs, smashed glass, and… blood stains? She could see a wall in the reflected light. There was something up against it. It looked like another mammal, with orange fur and about a meter tall. Judy could not believe what she witnessed. The figure looked up and spoke._

 _"Ju-dy…" The voice was weak, cold, and parched, but it was the same one she knew by heart._

 _"Nick?" she said with a hint of disbelief, fearing her violet eyes were deceiving her. The light shifted and was now cast on him. It was Nick. His paws were chained above his head, his traditional Hawaiian shirt and khakis were torn and ripped, his fur covered with dirt and matted with blood. He also appeared to have a bruised eye, and the other was red from tears._

 _"Help… Judy."_

 _"Nick!" she called out as she began to run towards him. The black around her turned from unseen ground to an empty void. She felt the gravity pull her down into the darkness, and she grasped the solid floor under the light. She tried to climb up, but it was almost futile. Her strength and energy felt gone._

 _"Judy…" he said again with barely any life left._

 _"Nick…" She shrieked as the solid floor she was desperately hanging from came apart, and she fell into the depths. "NOOOO!" She screamed as she accelerated deeper into the void; continuing to fall through the depths of the bottomless pit.  
_

She screamed when she hit something solid. Shrieking and gasping for air, her eyes wide open and her heart pounding like a drum as she struggled to figure out what happened. She was on the wooden floor. In her apartment. It was still dark. She could not see much, but enough with the pale moonlight drifting through the window to know she was in a familiar place. Her bad dream caused her to fall off the couch, but it was only a dream. No, a nightmare. Still trying to normalize her breathing, she saw her picture of Nick. The glass on the frame was cracked from falling off the small table. All Judy wanted now was him there with her. To hold her through the dark times. She could bear it no longer, and she started to cry. She didn't bother to hold back the tears anymore. Nick was gone, and there was nothing she could do. Her emotions escalated, and she began to wail.

"Oh, Nick!" she cried out in the dark room with the tears charging from her eyes. "Where are you? Please come back to me, Nick. Please, Nick. Please... Please…" She held herself and curled up on the floor. Despair and misery engulfed her whole room; her soul felt as cold and black as a coffin. It may as well be. Without Nick, she lost a major part of her life. Without Nick, she was empty. Without Nick, there was nothing.

 _Nothing_

Judy looked up, and there was another frame on the floor. She got on her knees, reached over to it, and pulled it back to her. It was the Hopps' family photo. The family she had before moving to the city. They were still her family. She decided that tomorrow, she'd head to Bunnyburrow and surround herself with family. Maybe, just maybe, she will be able to cope over there. She returned to curling up in a ball on the floor, too miserable to go to her bed or even back to the couch. That dream will not cease from her memory for a while. It was not the kind you could simply forget.

"I can't live without you…" she whimpered in the empty room, and she soon drifted back into an uneasy sleep, still on the floor.


	4. Home Isn't A Place

**Chapter 4 – Home Isn't A Place**

-

Judy pressed the shuffle button on her phone, and let random chance select what music she got. She didn't know what she wanted at the moment, so maybe the shuffle will give her something she'll like. She rested her elbow on the sill, placed her hand on her cheek, and gazed outside the window on the vacant train car, watching the outskirts of the city zoom by. It was both depressing and relieving; leaving her home in the city to visit family. As much as she hated to leave, she knew it'd be better for her. The music was the slow and soothing kind, just what she needed.

 _ **"I know that they say the space between  
Can make it stronger than we've ever seen  
They might be right, but I disagree  
Cause I've never felt stronger than when you're with me**_

 _ **Sometimes I wonder why you even care  
Cause even when I leave, you're always there with me  
And like a candle makes a brighter place,  
This mark you've made on me can't be erased**_

 _ **I wanna be so far gone in you  
So far, nothing else will ever do  
I wanna be so far gone in you  
In you"**_

Judy enjoyed the serenity of the empty train car. Now the train came out in the fields, away from the colors of the city. Just the partly cloudy blue sky and the green fields, sometimes vibrant and sometimes dry. The scattered trees in the distance blew gently in the wind along with the tall grass. She was still quite a ways from Bunnyburrow, but she already felt a sense of home.

 _ **"I've stood alone and I've fallen down  
Your hands were there to pick me off the ground  
Sometimes I cry cause I can't believe  
Your love is big enough to cover me**_

 _ **Sometimes I've wondered if you're even there  
But when I feel far away, you meet me there  
And like a candle makes a brighter place,  
This mark you've made on me can't be erased**_

 _This mark can't be erased._ When Judy first came to the city, she never knew how much she wanted a friend that cared for her like Nick did. Now, she wonders whether to try to forget him for the time being, or remember him as much as possible until she finds him. Neither option seemed satisfactory. She let out a small sigh, thankful there weren't any other mammals in the car with her.

 _ **"I wanna be so far gone in you  
So far, nothing else will ever do  
I wanna be so far gone in you, I wanna be lost**_

 _ **I wanna be lost in you  
Like a ship in the night  
I wanna get lost in you  
Underneath your sky**_

 _ **I wanna be lost in you  
Like a ship in the night  
So far gone tonight**_

 _ **I wanna be so far gone in you  
So far, nothing else will ever do  
I wanna be so far gone in you, in you**_

 _ **So far gone in you  
In you, in you  
So far gone in you…"**_

Judy felt her phone vibrate on her thigh. She flipped it over, and there was a text from an unsaved number.

 _"Hey Judy, its Wolford. I had your patrol car returned to your apartment :)"_ the text on her phone read. She chose to go get it after she returned to the city, but it seems she didn't have to go back for it after all. Judy smiled as she replied to the text.

 _"Thanks"_ she replied. She wanted to say more, but it hurt to communicate in any medium.

 _"No problem ;) Take it easy, okay?"_

 _"Ok"_ Judy saved his number in her phone, and she continued to look out the window and admire the scenery.

Her thoughts bounced all over the place like a pinball. Sometimes it was on the city, sometimes on what she may find back in her hometown. How many new siblings or cousins would she have? Would there be any new buildings? And her thoughts always seemed to bounce back to what might have happened to Nick. 'Where could he be? Who took him? Why did they take him?' With so many thoughts running through her mind, it was hard to focus on anything else. She became hooked on her past experiences with Nick of all things. All the memories of the times she spent with him were coming back to her. Almost all of them were good ones. The kind she wanted to remember forever. She was always happy with him.

When she first came to the city, she became exactly what she always wanted. To be a cop; to make the world a better place. Nick tried to break her down because he was once broken by the world. It was his way of trying to let her down easy. But her unrelenting optimism somehow got to him first. Before he knew it, she had changed him. And when he saw her dreams on the verge of being taken from her on the principle of her species, he stood up for her. He opened up about how Zootopia was never actually what it was made to seem, how it was no better than anywhere else. A complete lie. After she discovered how hurt he had been since his childhood, she felt sympathy for him. Her own hopefulness had shown him that maybe Zootopia could be what it claimed to be; that she could at least try to make the world a better place. And she wanted to do it with him, and he with her.

A year with Nick, and not one dull moment. He was always there for her, anytime she ever needed him. She couldn't remember any instant that he wasn't. Judy missed him so much. She could not imagine life without him, but now it was a reality. She went back to a fond memory with him: The time he took care of her when she got a cold. Judy did not want to stay in the bed, but Nick insisted she lie down and rest. He even stayed the night at her place, so he could keep an eye on her and make sure she'd be alright. _'Dumb fox.'_

~

"You like the soup there, Carrots?" Nick asked the rabbit, still in her bed with a cold.

"It's wonderful." she replied through her congested throat. "Thanks for making it for me." She let out a small cough.

"No problem. It's the least I can do. Y'know, with you being sick and all." Nick took a seat on the stool next to her bed.

"But I'm fine, Nick." she objected. "I can still work and do things."

"I just said you're sick. You need to ease up." Nick countered.

"I don't need ease up." Judy placed her bowl on the nightstand attempted to leave her bed. "I have work to do."

"Nooo," Nick held on to the doe to keep her from leaving. "You need to stay in bed and rest."

"Nick…"

"Rest." he said sternly, locking eyes with her. "Please, Carrots. For me?" Nick pleaded for her to stay. She hated it when he did this, but it's not like she could be mad at him for it. Those big, green eyes screamed 'Let me care for you!' He wanted to make sure she'd be okay, and would go to great lengths to do so. _'He's just looking out for me. That's all.'_

"Alright." she conceded. "I'll rest. For you."

"Thank you. Now, how about we watch some movies? I got a few from the Redbox in the hall."

"Sounds good to me."

With that reply, Nick turned on TV and he and Judy watched a few movies for their evening in. Mostly animated movies like Floaten, and Wreck-It Rhino among others. Judy continued to enjoy her soup. _'Maybe this is better than being on my feet.'_ Judy thought to herself.

When 9:00 PM arrived, Judy was already tired. Nick could tell she was trying desperately to stay awake. Her sickness drove all her energy away.

"Ready to turn it?" Nick asked the tired rabbit.

"Yeah, I think so." she replied, barely able to speak. A sore throat and a drowsy head made it difficult for her to use her voice. "Hopefully, I'll be better in the morning." She coughed again.

"Alright." Nick shut off the TV and stretched his arms and legs. "I'm gonna head to the couch. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." she said with a small smile. "Good night, Nick."

"Goodnight, Carrots." Nick gave Judy a little kiss on the forehead. Judy jumped a little as if a bolt went through her body, leaving her to blush under her fur. Nick headed to the door to her room, and looked back at her with a smile as he closed it. "Sleep well." he whispered. Judy smiled back.

"Sly fox." she whispered, and she was soon asleep herself, the smile still on her face.

~

A loud noise startled the doe, waking her up as she looked anxiously around for answers. _Gunfire? Train wreck?_ No, it was the sound of the train horn, signaling its arrival at the station in Bunnyburrow. Her earbuds were still in, but the music had stopped. She pulled them out and placed them in the side pocket of her bag.

"Now arriving in Bunnyburrow." the announcer said over the microphone. Judy picked up her army green duffle bag and headed out the sliding doors with only a few mammals coming out and some going in. She breathed in the fresh farm air, feeling the sun on her face and admiring the green grass. Her senses felt reawakened. It felt like home, exactly how she hoped. She let out a deep breath, slung her bag over her shoulder, and made her way into town for the Hopps' residence. Back to her old home.

* * *

She saw many familiar faces in the nostalgic place. Many of them didn't seem to notice her, but with a few hundred others within in the area, it wasn't surprising. But she didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment; she just wanted to see her mom first. If anyone would understand her, it'd be Bonnie Hopps. She didn't even know where to start, but somehow, she felt her mom would help. If not her, then maybe her own sister, Jackie. Jackie was a bit taller than Judy, ears included, and light brown fur. She and Judy were the best of friends as kits. They played with all of their siblings when they were young, but there was something special between them. They understood each other more than any of their 274 brothers and sisters. Still, there was always that fear. The ridicule and potential disownment for making friends with her natural predator. Somehow, this didn't bother her much. Not at the moment, anyhow.

She walked up to the front door of her parents' house. It didn't look any different from the day she left. She nervously opened the door, not bothering to knock. In the living room were at least fifteen other, smaller bunnies, all of them different sizes.

"Judy!" they all shouted. Almost all of them ran up to greet her and attempt to climb her for hugs.

"Hey, guys!" Judy said back with a smile. Her heart slightly more whole. She recognized most of them; it comes with being a bunny. "Look how big you are!" It felt good to see her siblings again. The feeling of home spiked again. "Hey, I'll hang out with you guys later. Right now, where's mom?"

"She's in the kitchen." a young buck said to her.

"Thanks." she replied. "Has anyone moved into my old room yet?"

"No, not yet." another rabbit replied.

"Okay, then." Judy gave her bag to another doe. "Here, can you put that in there for now? And no snooping!"

"You got it, Officer Hopps!" the bunny replied.

"Are you moving back here?" another asked.

"No, just here for about a week." The doe left with her bag, and Judy continued to the hall that would lead to the kitchen, but mother came out first.

"Judy?" she asked, surprised to see her little cop girl again.

"Mom!" she replied happily.

"I'm so glad to see you again." Bonnie said as she hugged Judy.

"I missed you too." Judy replied. They held each other for a little bit, but eventually they had to let go of each other. Bonnie brought a concerned look when they returned face to face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Judy hesitated, unsure of how to reply. "C-can we talk in private?"

* * *

Judy told her mom everything. How she and Nick met, what he did for her, and how they lived their lives. It was no secret anymore, her best friend is a fox, and now he is gone without a trace. She told her mom about his apartment and how she found it when he went missing and how the Chief gave her a week off so she could get her head together. Her mother listened with an open mind, something Judy didn't expect.

After Judy confessed to her mom, her sister Jackie invited her to hang out with some friends that afternoon. Judy thought she could muster up a smile being with her favorite sister, but she was wrong. She smiled and kept happy for a short time, but it soon drifted into gloom. The only two things she could think about was her talk with her mom, and of course, Nick. She felt like an alien in her own hometown, and she couldn't guess why. For what felt like an eternity, Judy stared blankly at the table, playing with a fork to occupy her mind. Why was it suddenly so hard to make so much as a smile?

"Judy? Judy." Jackie said to her from across the table.

"Hmm?" Judy broke her trance and looked up at one of the other four rabbits at the table.

"I asked if you wanted anything for dessert." her sister Jackie asked, a little concerned. "They have a sundae, shakes, cookies… you want anything? You didn't get anything else, so gotta be hungry, girl."

"Nah, I'm good." Judy replied, lowering her eyes to the table again. She hadn't even looked at the menu. Her appetite was a lost cause.

"Is something wrong, Judy?" another buck asked with concern. "You seem pretty down."

"I'll be fine. I don't wanna talk about it right now." she replied, not even looking up.

"You sure?" the third rabbit asked.

"Yeah." Judy got up from her seat. She wasn't getting anywhere, so there was no point in waiting. "I think I'll see you guys later."

"Alright, I hope you feel better soon." the second rabbit said to her. Judy gave him a nod, and turned to leave.

"Wait." Jackie grabbed her paw, and Judy looked back at her. She had a concerned look on her face. "You can talk to me. You know that, right?" Jackie said to Judy as they looked each other in the eye.

"Later." Judy replied. She slid her hand out from Jackie's and continued out the door.

A cold breeze blew through her hometown, and she didn't remember to bring a jacket when she went out. All that stuff was back in her room across town, still in the bag. She folded in her arms, both to try to keep warm, and perhaps to emulate how she felt on the inside. She didn't want to let anyone inside anymore. She never sealed herself off, but now it was all she felt she could do. She knew her way around town, so getting to her house with her head down in despair was easy. She almost wished it wasn't.

* * *

After she returned to the house, Judy went to her room and locked herself in. Overall, her day was depressing. The sense of home lifted her spirts only a little with each memory, but each one soon dissipated. Despite how much her mother actually listened, it wasn't much help either. Even being around her siblings, with her favorite sister, didn't have any desired results. It had only been almost two days since Nick went missing, and Judy felt like she was losing it. Everything she ever was, broken in a thousand pieces on the floor. Too much of herself was involved with the fox she called friend. When he went missing, he took a piece of her too.

She sat at the foot of the bed with a picture of Nick on her phone. Every thirty seconds, the screen would shut off, and she'd involuntarily press the power button so she could continue to look at his face. She felt home whenever he was around. She felt like herself with his presence. The empty feeling devastated her, consuming every emotion.

A tear escaped Judy's eye and fell on her phone, right on Nick's shoulder. She swiped it away with her thumb, but it left a streak on her phone. She didn't care. She didn't care for anything anymore. The tears began to flow again, but she remained silent. All over again, her soul felt black; full of nothing but sadness and desolation.

After what felt like another long five minutes, Judy turned her phone off, left it on the bedside table, and shut off the lamp. In the dark, she could still see the framed picture of the fox she packed with her. She just stared at it, motionless, as the tears matted her fur and soaked the pillow, without a care, until she fell asleep. She cared for nothing. There was nothing to care for anymore.

 _Nothing_

* * *

The frigid morning air was growing warmer. Sunlight drifted through the window as Jackie sat on her knees next to Judy's bed, observing her sleeping sister. She could see the matted fur and the tear stains on her pillow. Judy had been crying. Jackie was trying to figure out what the deal may be. She looked over, and there was a framed picture of a fox on the table. It seemed like Judy was looking at that before she fell asleep. Jackie returned to observing her miserable sister. She tried to read as much as she could from her face as she slept. She wiped away part of the matted fur on her sister's face with her thumb. Her eyes crept open. Jackie looked her right in the eye, and Judy gasped and jumped a little with her eyes wide open, clutching the end of her blanket in fear. Jackie could really see the red in her eyes now, but she just sat and stared at her sister with a warm smile. She knew how jumpy that rabbit could be, and she didn't feel like it was a good time to make fun of her. They had more serious issues.

"Hey." Jackie said quietly.

Judy had calmed down after that little scare, and replied with a simple "Hey." She blinked slowly, feeling the irritation in her eyes left over from last night.

"Is something bothering you?" Jackie asked with concern.

"I'm fine." She was quick to lie, even to her own sister.

"You know I don't believe that." Jackie said with a nod and a worried look. Judy knew her sister was right. She could feel her red eyes and the matted fur. Anyone could tell she was all but fine.

"Do you think we can talk about it later?" she asked with a sigh, not certain if her sister would listen to her request. To her surprise, she was very understanding.

"Okay." Jackie replied tenderly. "Talk when you're ready. Until then, you and me are gonna hang out today. Just us. I already have some things planned for us to do."

"Like what?"

"You'll have to wait and see. So get ready so I can show you." Jackie got up and left her sister to get dressed, and perhaps take care of her eyes. Judy didn't know if she wanted to go. She suddenly realized she was avoiding her sister. But why? They were the best of friends when they were little, now it seems she's afraid. Afraid of what? Telling her about Nick? Jackie knew Judy like nobody else. She wouldn't care that she has the rabbit's mortal enemy as a friend, but her emotions said otherwise. Fed up with the isolation her emotions put her in, Judy decided she'd throw Jackie a bone, and she got out of bed to freshen up and to get dressed.

 _Would today be a good day? Judy did not know._


	5. Time With Family

**Chapter 5 - Time With Family**

-

Judy walked down the stairs to the first floor, unsure of what she wanted to do. She could turn back to her room now, and maybe get an hour or two before Jackie comes to check on her again and bait her into doing stuff. She stopped halfway down on the stairs to think, to contemplate whether to go through with this. Somehow, she was afraid, but she didn't know what it was she feared. It was driving her mad. She leaned against the wall of the stairway and looked up. She wished the sky was there, maybe some clouds. The dull brown ceiling was not too great to look at. It was not helping with how she felt and the struggle within her own mind.

"What do I do?" she whispered under her breath, hoping that God would provide a direct answer rather than a riddle. The pain inside was unrelenting. She closed her eyes, wanting to cry again, but her eyes felt spent of all the tears.

Jackie came around the corner and noticed Judy on the stairs. "You ready?" she asked with a smile, oblivious to her sister's grief. She was in a teal colored T-shirt and brown cargo pants, and Judy was wearing a purple shirt with blue jeans.

"I guess so." Judy replied, a little reluctant. Jackie walked towards the door, and she followed closely. When Judy got outside and stepped off the deck, she was greeted with the gracious scents of the farm and the warm morning sun. The sensation of home hit her yet again, but for all she knew, it'd vanish just like the last time she felt it. Good things never last, do they? Across the gravel driveway was a green pickup truck, probably about 16 or 17 years old. Jackie walked around to the driver's side and Judy got into the passenger seat. The vehicle started with little trouble and headed forward on the dirt road. Of course, Judy simply gazed out the window, trying to avoid any conversation as long as she could. But hardly anything slipped past Jackie, and she tried to talk with her.

"Since I know you don't want to talk about what's bothering you right now, how about I ask how the city is?" Jackie said to her as they rode down the dirt road, away from the town.

"It's alright." Judy replied with little emotion, her stare unmoved from the grassy fields.

"Aw, come on! There's gotta be more to it than that. The buildings are pretty fancy, huh?" Jackie was getting persistent.

"Yeah, they are." Judy replied in a monotonous manner.

"Which one's your favorite?"

Judy thought that was kind of an odd question, but she sighed and answered truthfully. "Honestly, I don't know." She moved from the window and began to attend to her sister. "There are a lot of fancy buildings in Zootopia. I'm not sure which one's my favorite."

"Just name one that you really like."

Judy had to think about this one for a little bit. Way too many cool buildings to name one right off the bat. "I guess I'll have to say the Rhino's Horn. Every time I look at it, I just stare in awe. It's just so different from the rest." If felt good to actually say something, yet at the same time, it was painful.

"I've heard of that one." Jackie replied. She had a warm smile on; satisfied that her sister was actually talking to her. "It sounds pretty fancy."

"Yeah." Judy was suddenly hit yet again with the question of what Jackie was planning. "So, what are we doing?"

"We're gonna go fishing."

"Really?" she asked with a very subtle hint of excitement.

"Yup. Just gonna catch and release for a little bit."

"I don't know if I'm still good at it." Judy's ears drooped even lower; her pessimism was showing again.

"Don't worry, it's not gonna be a contest." Jackie laughed. "Just a little fun for you and me. You up for it?"

"I guess so." Judy replied.

"Then let's get rolling!" Jackie cranked up the radio and began to drive faster, making the ride much bumpier. After hitting a large bump that made both the rabbits bounce from their seats, Judy smiled. And Jackie smiled as well. She still knew how to get to Judy in the best way.

"Faster?" she asked Judy.

"You bet!" she replied enthusiastically. She felt the forces of gravity and listened to the engine roar as it crossed the bumpy, green fields. Jackie was surprised at Judy's sudden change of attitude. 'Works every time.' she thought to herself.

* * *

"Come here you little scamp!" Jackie said, trying to reel in the giant trout she and Judy had been chasing for over an hour.

"There!" Judy exclaimed. "It's getting closer!"

"You have the net ready?" she asked.

"Yep."

The fish came slow and steady to the reef. It was fighting as hard as it could, but Jackie managed to keep it under control until it got to the shore. Judy walked into the water, pant sleeves rolled up, and carrying the net. They had it cornered. She was ready to throw the net over it, when it suddenly swam forward, towards land. It bolted past her and turned to travel along the edge of the shore, escaping from Jackie's hook.

"Hey! Come back here!" Judy commanded as she chased after the fish. He was quite smart, but he was not going to get away this time! After she ran for it a few yards, it crossed her path again, swimming towards the deep water. Judy swung her net down at the fish like tennis racket. The fish dodged it, and Judy slipped and fell into the water. Her pants and half her shirt were all wet. Judy turned her head, and she saw the fish swim away, back into the lake. She let out a defeated sigh. "Dang it." she breathed.

Jackie ran in the shallow water to where Judy was. "Did ya catch it?" she asked.

"He's gone." Judy replied. "Sweet cheese, he's smart!"

"I know. He's been teasing me for weeks. Little smartass." Jackie looked down at her sister. "Need a hand?"

Judy took her hand, and lifted herself up, water dripping from her clothes. As soon as she was steady, she began to slide again. "Woah." She regained her balance, and they chuckled. Judy yelped and immediately fell forward, face hitting the water. Lifting her head up, her face was now wet too. Her expression was now one of annoyance. Jackie crouched down and laughed at her sister. Judy looked up at her, and a devious smile spread across her face. She tossed some water at Jackie.

"Hey!" Jackie kicked some water at Judy, and she returned the favor again. Judy got up on her knees, and they continued to giggle and throw splash after splash at each other.

"Quit it!" Judy said.

"You first!" was Jackie's reply. Jackie began to run towards the truck and Judy soon followed. She almost waddled over because all her clothing was wet, cold, and sticking to her fur. Jackie took a look at the watch she had on.

"Oh, it's getting close to lunch. We should get home and dry up. I have something else planned for the day, too." Jackie began to load the fishing supplies back in the truck.

"Something else?" Judy asked with enthusiasm.

"Yup. Hey, can you go grab the poles and the cooler?"

"Sure thing." Judy ran back to the shore and gathered the stuff they had brought out there. She could see the trout jumping from the water like a dolphin. It HAD to be taunting them. "One day, I'll get ya, you little snitch. One day." she muttered. She took the poles and the rest of the fishing gear back to the truck, and returned for the rest as Jackie loaded the items in.

* * *

 _12:32PM_

Wolford left WhichWay restaurant with a sub-sandwich in a bag in paw and he breathed in the nice warm air. It was lunch break and he picked up something to eat while he worked, plus it gave him a change to stretch his aching legs.

It didn't take long to return to the ZPD, and when he walked in, he was able to see a European badger in a SWAT uniform wandering around the building in boredom. His thoughts elsewhere, the badger had bumped into a squirrel, causing her to drop a binder.

"Oh, sorry." the badger said, kneeling down to retrieve the binder. "I wasn't wa – uh… hi…" He was cut of mid-sentence when he looked up and their eyes met.

Army-green connected with aqua-blue. The female squirrel seemed almost as confused as he was, being that her nose was twitching. She wore a grey dress that went to her knees and black leggings, a pencil behind her right ear and her fur a gentle grey as well.

"Yeah, um," The badger broke eye-contact and picked up the binder, standing up as he handed it back to the squirrel. "Here."

"Thanks." the squirrel said with a smile, taking her folder back and meeting his gaze yet again as she walked past him, making her way to The Zootopia Times room.

Even after she fixed her gaze in front of her, the badger smiled and continued to watch in wonder, rotating on his heel. The color of her eyes, the way her tail flicked, it had caught him off guard.

"Optimus!" A voice called from the bullpen, snapping away the badger's attention. "Let's go!"

It was a jackal wearing similar gear to that of the badger, most likely on the same SWAT team. The badger quickly walked towards the bullpen to continue his duties, and with that, Wolford opened the ZPD door and rolled his eyes with a shake of his head and a smile. He had seen Nick give that same stare to Judy.

Will walked into his office carrying the bag and turned on the lights to get back to work. Bogo had assigned him and Fangmeyer on Nick's missing mammal case, and he was determined to deliver his upmost focus. Will laid his lunch on the desk and opened two folders on his desk he had brought in that morning and had already read. One was Nick's, and the other was everything they had on the raccoon that took him, which wasn't much. Not even a name. He was basically starting from scratch, but he was committed to the task. He opened his laptop and returned to searching the database for a raccoon who might match this guy. Ironically, the program responsible for that was unsuccessful, so their job just got that much harder. Fangmeyer had his paws full with the decrypting of locations and another case at the same time, so it was mostly up to Wolford to figure out who this guy is.

That morning, though unnecessary, Bogo stopped by his office. "If you get something, don't tell Judy until next Monday at the least." the buffalo warned. "She needs time to pull herself together, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Will replied.

"Good. I'll leave you to it." Bogo turned and left the office, leaving Wolford in the quiet of his office.

-

After lunch, Will worked as hard as he could for the next six hours, and still had almost nothing. He had a few pictures and some connected lines drawn on the corkboard in his office, but nothing that would tell him anything. The building was becoming vacant as the day officers had left, and the night shifters were already on the job. Pacing around and clicking a pen in his paw, he tried to find something to go on. His train of thought went on nonstop. It ran all over the place and stopped nowhere. Eventually, a certain thought ran through his head. He remembered when Judy got a call from a blocked number, and it was the same one that she and Nick had found in an apartment to a missing mammal, the ferret.

 _"If the number that Nick used to call Judy is the same one that the ferret had in his apartment, then is the ferret tied into this?"_

This made his eyes wide with anticipation. He remembered the ferret, Ridley Skerritt, and his folder in Judy's office. Couldn't hurt to look, right? He quickly left his office and went down the stairs, towards Judy's office. As he expected, the main hall was vacant. There were only a couple mammals standing alone or small pairs of them here and there, and of course, Clawhauser at the desk.

He checked the doorknob, and it was unlocked. He entered the room and immediately checked the desk, and he found it right where it was a few days ago. Checking it to make sure all the documents were in there, he closed it and headed out the door. Clawhauser looked to his right and saw the wolf come out of Judy's office, closing the door.

"Whatcha doing there, Will?" the cheetah asked.

Wolford's attention was turned to the cheetah, and he replied honestly. "Just needed a folder from Judy. Trying to do what I can to find Nick."

"Alrighty, then." he said. "Carry on." The cheetah gestured Will as he returned to eating a donut, and Wolford returned to his own office to get some work done with the few hours he had left on his overdrawn shift. After only a few minutes, he already began to draw some connections.

* * *

 _9:43 PM_

Judy and Jackie spent the whole day together. First, they had gone fishing, then they had lunch with some old friends and then headed to the local bowling alley afterwards. After dinner came and went, Judy returned to her room. She plugged her c-Phone into the speaker on the bedside table, played some music, and looked through all the stuff in her room. Everything that she left behind since leaving for Zootopia was in there. It brought back some good feelings. She was looking around the old room, taking in all the old memories. She noticed one of her old posters: an 80s rock band one she got from Jackie. She wasn't a big fan of the band, but it made a neat addition nonetheless. It was fastened with tape to the wall above her dresser. She approached the dresser and pulled the top drawer out, and inside it, she had colored pencils, pens, and a small stack of 9 x 12 drawing sheets. She collected the items in her paws, flopped on the bed, and took up drawing that night. After an hour, she made 14 pictures. Judy was a good artist. Not quite as good as her cousin, Winter, but she was still excellent. Some of her drawings were of just of the fields or a maybe little bit of Zootopia, but most of them had Nick in them; 9 sheets with her fox in it. Some were her and Nick, some others were Nick and her with others. The phone hit one of her favorite songs as she finished up the last picture. She worked extra hard and extra careful on this one.

 ** _I remember when we used to laugh  
About nothing at all;  
It was better than going mad  
From trying to solve all the problems we're going through.  
Forget 'em all!  
Cause all those nights, we would stand and never fall.  
Together, we faced it all._**

 ** _Remember when we'd…_**

 ** _Stay up late and we'd talk all night  
In a dark room lit by the TV light  
Through all the hard times in my life,  
Those Nights kept me alive!_**

 ** _Listen to the radio play all night.  
Didn't wanna go home to another fight.  
Through all the hard times in my life,  
Those Nights kept me alive  
Oh, oh _**

-

The last one she drew was of Nick himself. All that patience and careful work brought out something beautiful and perfect. It looked just like him. The ears, proportions, and the texture for the fur were all perfect. Her sorrow had returned and attempted to numb her emotions again. She grazed her paw over the sheet, just begging to feel his fur again.

"Oh, Nick. Where could you have gone?" she whispered with grief. The tears were about to flow again when Judy heard a knock on her door, breaking her trance.

"You in there, Judy?" Jackie asked.

"Y-yeah." Judy replied, flipping the sheet over. "Come in." Jackie walked in the door with a smile, but she also seemed concerned about something. 'No doubt it's me.' Judy thought.

"You alright?" Jackie asked with the door halfway open.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Judy didn't know if this was a lie or not. Hanging out with her sister was great, but a void still existed. "Why do you ask?"

Jackie opened the door further and took a step inside. "No reason. Just wanted to show you something. Come on." She reached her hand out towards her sister. Judy remained silent and still as she looked at Jackie's hand, unsure of what to do.

She didn't want to leave her room or drawings, but she allowed Jackie to grab her paw and lead her around the halls and through the back door. Judy was still a little down even after hanging out with Jackie that day. She didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, just like yesterday. She had suddenly become an introvert, something very rare with rabbits.

She and Jackie had walked far enough that the houses could barely be seen. Judy was slightly annoyed by the fact her sister led her out here and hadn't spoken a word yet, so she asked,

"What is so far out here that you want me to see?"

"Just look up." Jackie replied, without stopping or moving her head.

Judy looked up for the first time after they went outside, and she noticed all the stars. Hundreds of bright clusters, each with more stars than she could count. She was struck with awe and wonder; her mouth gaped open at the sight.

"Betcha you don't get this kind of view in the city, do ya?" Jackie asked playfully, glancing back at her sister.

"Not even close." The doe took a breath, forgetting all her worries for just a moment. "How did I not remember this?"

"Seems you're too hooked on city life, huh?" Jackie teased.

"I guess so. Just… wow!" Judy stared in awe at the beauty of the night time stars. The city never gave her this kind of view, but she never knew how much she truly missed it.

"Right here." Jackie pointed at two bald spots surrounded by the tall grass. "I alternated sitting in these two spots almost every night, waiting for the day you'd come back to visit. So we could sit and enjoy the stars together just like when we were kids."

"Really? You waited for me to visit for that long?" Even though Judy knew Jackie loved her, she was still shocked that she loved her THIS much.

"Only for about four months, after I really started to miss you." Jackie sat down in the bald spot on the right, and Judy took the left. "It's great to have to have you back, even if it is for just a little bit."

"Jackie, you're the sweetest. Really."

"And don't you forget it." Judy and Jackie both laughed as they both lay back with their heads on the grass and admiring the stars. "So, I hear you have a fox friend." Jackie asked.

Judy was caught off guard by that question, but why else would Jackie have brought her out here? Her doubts and sorrow threatened to consumer her again, rolling in like storm clouds, but she pushed them away for the time being.

"Yeah. I'm the one bunny that has a predator as a friend." she admitted.

"Tell me more about him. Something about him has been troubling you, right?"

Judy sighed, and decided to come clean about her friend. "I met Nick when I first moved into city." Judy started. "He seemed nice at first, but I quickly realized he was just as sly and untrustworthy as any other fox was. At the time, I was a meter maid. He told me that my dreams of being a real cop were just that; dreams. They were never meant to come true. He told me that the concept of Zootopia was a lie, that I can't be anything I want; that I can only be what I am. He was seen as a sly fox, so he took the role and title, and he said that I was just a dumb bunny."

"He called you dumb?!" Jackie ruefully asked.

"There's more, don't worry about that." Judy countered. "The next day, I couldn't find any sort of hope for my dream, and I had no idea why. I wondered if what he said really got to me. But then, I got a taste of what I wanted. I chased down a ferret that stole some midnicampum holicithias plants from a flower shop. It felt good being a real cop, even if it was only a taste. I was almost fired for leaving my meter maid post, but I got a second chance, and a case to search for a missing mammal, an otter."

At this point, Judy's voice was bland and low, like a robot, not even thinking about who she was telling the story to, but imagining everything as she told it, seeing it again in her mind.

"Turns out I needed the fox's help to find him. He knew the otter, so I got his help, and he got me a plate number for the last vehicle anyone saw the otter go in, and the last anyone had seen of him since. One thing led to another, and my chief had had it up to here with me, so he asked me to turn in my badge. I was devastated. Only two days, and my dream was already falling apart. As I was about to hand it to him, ready to accept his decision, Nick stood up for me. He… defended me. My chief had given me a deadline when I first started, and Nick made it clear that I still had some time to find the otter. As we were leaving the rainforest, he had a story of his own when he was a kit."

"What was it?" Jackie asked as she sat up, interested in the story.

"He told me that all he wanted to do was be with the ranger scouts, even if he was the only predator. But the other members in the troop were all prey, and they were jerks too. Th-they put…" Judy was having trouble telling her sister the horrid story. "…a muzzle on him. The other members made fun of him for being a predator, for having to wear the muzzle because he could turn savage and hurt them."

"That's awful!" Jackie stated.

"Yeah, it is." Judy said, extremely down. "Anyway, they teased him, and he never returned to the group. He told me he learned two things that day. The first was he was never gonna let anyone see that they got to him. The second was how he was living his life since that moment to when he met me. If the world is only going to see a fox as untrustworthy, then there's no point to being anything else. And I told him that he was so much more than that. I saw in him what no one else did. After years of playing the part, he finally stood up for someone, stood up for me because he… cared for me. He wanted me to keep going. He wanted me to find the otter. And we did find him. And now, it's been a year, and he still cares for me. And I care for him because… he understands me like nobody else."

"Nobody else?" Jackie teased, but Judy did not catch the joke, still in her own little world. "So, where is he now? Did he leave you? Did he hurt you?"

"No, he's… gone. He was kidnapped." Judy's sorrow had returned. She sat up to hug her knees and try to control her rising heartbeat. "Other cops in the precinct are trying to find him, but I've just been so… so lost without him. I feel like… a part of me is gone. And I don't know if it'll return… if he'll come back, or even if I'll ever find him. What if I don't see him again?" The tears were starting to roll down Judy's cheeks.

"Don't worry, little sis." Jackie tried to comfort her mournful sister. "The ZPD is full of good cops. They'll find him. YOU will find him."

Judy looked at her sister. Normally, she would have been stunned of how much she understood her or how she didn't even ask why Judy has a fox friend. But she was numb to all feelings but grief, so she didn't question it; that's just how Jackie was.

Judy wiped the tears from her face. "Thanks, Jackie."

"Anytime. You need a hug?" Jackie opened her arms, and Judy immediately fell right into her.

"Yes." she sobbed. "I miss Nick so much." Judy's tears were flowing again. "How will I work as a cop without him? He's what made being cop worth doing." She was sniffling and trying to keep from crying all over her sister, but it was a futile attempt. She slumped down and laid her head on Jackie's lap. "I just want him back." She pulled her knees closer, trying as best she could to curl up in a ball of sadness. Her beautiful amethyst eyes were now moist and full of grieving.

"I told you, you'll find him. Just don't give up hope." Jackie said, soothing her sister and stroking her ears. "Shh, don't cry, baby sis."

"Do NOT call me baby sis." Judy did not like the name, but that didn't stop Jackie from teasing her.

"Okay… baby sis." Jackie teased again.

"Stop!" Judy protested.

"Baby sis!"

"STOP!"

"Ooh, does that make you mad?" Jackie started to tickle Judy.

"Ah! Yes! Yes it does, STOP! Stop it! Jackie, STOP!" Judy couldn't talk over the laughter from her sister's pestering. "STOP!" She protested again, but Jackie refused. She knew exactly where Judy was the most ticklish. "That's it!" She jumped on Jackie and started to tickle her as well.

"Hey, that's my job!" Jackie complained, barely holding her laughter in. "No fair!"

"All's fair in bunny love and bunny war!" Judy proclaimed.

They continued to roll around in the tall grass for a good while until they were both exhausted. Neither could continue to pester the other. They just lay in the grass, taking deep breaths and observing the stars until they could muster the energy to head back. Judy still missed Nick, but being with her favorite sister under the stars in the warm summer night made her feel better, made it easier to process all that was happening and think clearly. She couldn't dream of having anything better, except for having Nick by her side. As soon as she got back to the city, she'd do everything in her power to find him. She felt something good after what felt like an eternity of grief and emotional numbness. She felt some sense of completeness.

"I've missed you, Judy." Jackie said with sincerity.

"I missed you too, Jackie." Judy replied with the same honesty.

"If you ever need me, I'm here for you."

"Thank you." Judy gave her sister yet another hug, and they lay back down to rest.

It was nice and quiet out in the field. No city noises, no annoying siblings, just them, alone, in the warm summer night beneath the stars. Judy and Jackie both loved it like nothing else. They had always done this as kits, but it was even more wonderful now after years of separation from each other.

Jackie went into aviation and vehicles, and Judy had to go to the academy for her officer training. They hadn't seen each other for four years, and this was something they missed dearly. Each of their schedules had demanded too much, making something as simple as seeing each other a difficult task.

-

"Judy. Judy, wake up." Jackie whispered as she shook her little sister's shoulder; Judy had fallen asleep outside.

"Mm?" was all she replied with as her eyes barely crept open.

"Judy, it's getting late. What do you say we head inside before it gets cold?"

"Mm. Ok." she replied. "Help me up?"

Jackie playfully sighed. "Alright." She conceded and helped Judy to her feet, but she was too tired to walk. She made it a few feet, and then she collapsed back down on the grass. Jackie giggled at this.

"Can't walk; too tired." Judy said drowsily.

"Alright, fine. I'll carry you." Jackie slid her arms under Judy's legs and head, and picked her up. Judy was already trying to snuggle with her sister. "You know, you get awfully clingy when you're tired."

"Mm…" Judy's nuzzled her face into Jackie's shoulder.

"You're not gonna give me a real answer, are you?"

"Mm…"

"I'll take that as a yes." Jackie chuckled.

She carried Judy all the way across the field back to the house, and even brought her to her room. She lay Judy down on her own bed, and put her blanket over her. When she started out of the room, her eye caught the pictures of the fox, Nick, on her desk. Jackie smiled. He seemed like a great guy, and being as optimistic as she was, she could practically see Nick being found; maybe in a few years the two would make her an aunt again…

With a chuckle to herself, Jackie closed the door and left Judy alone in the dark room. She held onto her pillow and snuggled into it to make up for her sister's absence, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

-

* * *

It was dark in the lonely building, the air cold and moist. All that could be seen was darkness as a little chair stood in front of a computer and a desk, while several papers and prototypes lay strewn across the metal table. A heavy metal door opened and a raccoon scurried across the room to the back of the chair.

"Doctor," he said quietly. "This is the most progress we've ever made on a fully functioning organic body, and he's recovering well. The organic matter that remains is adapting quickly, and the results are better than hoped."

"Does he still require nurturance?" the unseen animal from the chair asked.

"Yes, for now." the raccoon said and held out a yellow folder. A small metal paw grabbed it. "All external limbs have been replaced, including the ears, for the time being. We hope to do the tail next, but that will take months."

"Of course." The voice from the chair said approvingly as the animal read the folder. "And, how are the other tests subjects progressing?"

"Steadily, much like the fox." the raccoon answered. "But all the same. The process is slow, but we must be. We cannot risk another death."

"No, I agree. You are doing a fine job." The voice paused as the metal paw rested the folder on the desk. "I want you to make sure no one in the city knows or suspects a thing. We are not ready to share our goal. I want eyes on the ZPD, the ZBI, Town Hall; I won't rest until we are sure we aren't watched."

"Yes, Doctor." The raccoon said with a slight head bow.

"Especially after the incident from the day after you retrieved the fox!" the voice raised a little. "We cannot have another one of those. You understand the risks, do you not?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Thank you. You are free to go."

The raccoon nodded and hurried out the door and closed it behind him. The animal reread the documents and records in the file on the fox's condition. Blood pressure, emotional state, heartbeat, overall health. The fox was clueless to what they were doing to him, _for_ him. He was becoming something better than anything organic life could make.

The metal paw rose so a pair of eyes could see it sparkle from the computer's light, and she spoke yet again, "Soon, I'll be perfect, too. We'll all be perfect."

* * *

 _Tuesday, August 22. Six days after Nick's kidnapping._

Grey clouds covered the sky and a cool breeze drifted through Zootopia that afternoon. After a week in Bunnyburrow, Judy got off the bus just two blocks from her apartment. She was exhausted and almost dragged herself and her bag to her apartment. When she got to the front door, she saw the police vehicle. Like Wolford said, he dropped it off at her apartment. A small smile spread across her face, but for only a moment.

She continued into the building and up the stairs to her room. She unlocked the door, and a waft of cold air blew in her face and she looked at the dark room. It was small, but cozy. The little bunny was surprised how much the journey tired her out, but she found her ears droopy and her lavender eyes trying to close.

The trip to Bunnyburrow was fun and she was glad Chief Bogo made her go. He was right; she needed some time with her family and away from it all, but she was glad to be back. Though her family was at Bunnyburrow and a part of her would always be there, Zootopia was her home. This is where she belonged: in the thick of the action, doing her part to make the world a better place.

Judy slumped up to her bed and fell face first into it, her c-Phone in paw and her earbuds still in her ears, though they did not play any music. She was ready to go to sleep and wake up in time for a quiet dinner, watch a little YouTube, and then go to sleep for the night and go back to work tomorrow, ready to fix the mess she left behind and find Nick.

 _Nick…_

Judy pulled out the white earbuds from her droopy ears and sighed into her pillow, her body feeling slightly heavier and her brain ready for an early-afternoon nap. Wolford and the rest of the ZPD surly have something waiting for her! A lead? A clue? Location? A suspect? She couldn't worry about that now, she had to rest.

Tomorrow, first thing in the morning…


	6. Nightmares

**Chapter 6 - Nightmares**

-

Zootopia received a few inches of rain one sleepy evening; the next morning was slow. Few cars were on the streets, the lingering cold from the night and the rain had not left yet, but everyone still had work to do, including the ZPD.

Since they were on their shifts now, Bogo went around the precinct to check on his two officers on Nick's missing mammal case. Fangmeyer had been working all week on decrypting the number that Judy received a call from, and the Cape buffalo had no idea what Wolford was doing, though he hoped it was good.

He walked up and opened the door to the tiger's office, watching him work vigorously. "How's the search going, Fangmeyer?" he asked from the doorway to his fellow officer's place of work.

Fangmeyer turned from the desk to face his boss, his expression full of optimism. "I've almost got it. Shouldn't be too much longer. Tonight at the latest."

"Good work, Markus." Bogo said with satisfaction. "Hopefully, Wolford has something to add as well."

"Let's hope so. I haven't heard any updates from him, so I'm not sure what's up."

Fangmeyer returned to work, and Bogo left the room to go and talk with Wolford; his office was just a few rooms down. Creaking the door open, he beheld the wolf at work. The two desks were strewn with documents, he had two laptops open, and he was staring at the corkboard covered with pictures, red pins, and lines drawn all over. He had clearly been working hard at this. He was stroking his chin and staring intently at the wall, while holding a pen in his left paw, repeatedly pressing the button.

Taking a step forward, Will drew a few lines, circles, and placed a red tack on his masterpiece before returning to staring and stroking his chin fur. Bogo did well to hide the feeling of shock from all the effort his officer has put up.

"Tell me you've got something." Bogo said with a hint of plea in his gruff voice.

The wolf looked over in shock as if he didn't notice the door open. Taking a breath first, he answered the chief.

"I do, actually." He moved over to the desk closer to the door which had the two laptops. He pointed to the sleek, black one. "This was the laptop from our missing ferret's apartment. I volunteered to take a look at it, and I found all kinds of suspicious crap. Oddly enough, there are strange weapon designs and documents of mammal biology are all over the drive. Some are even what look like manufactured designs for skeletal structures for a few different mammals, including a fox. Given his current occupation, this seems bizarre." Wolford paused for a bit before saying, "Whatever happened to the ferret, I'd assume he may have brought it on himself in some way."

The chief looked at the screen and a few of the documents on the table. His gears were turning as he took in what the wolf had said. He placed the point of his hoof on the document containing the limited data on the raccoon, staring intently at it.

"Do you think the ferret is involved with the raccoon from the video?" he asked with the same emotionless gruff.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." he replied, walking back over to his mess on the wall. "I've been trying to connect everything we know about both of them so I can see if this ferret is somehow responsible for Nick. I've opened more doors than I've been able to close, and it's become a catastrophe. I'm honestly not sure where to go anymore."

Bogo let out a sigh. "Okay, well, if you get something, report to Fangmeyer. He's almost finished with the decryption of the phone number. I expect you to have something to add to the table as well, understood?"

"Affirmative." Will replied with a nod.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your work." Bogo said as he left the room and closed the door.

Will sighed to himself as he looked upon the corkboard, trying to find another direction to go. 'How does this ferret fit?' Last known sightings, other missing mammals, a couple private military documents, so much stuff to use, yet there was no finish line.

Hours passed by, and he made links that led nowhere, assumptions turned false, and the wolf grew anxious for something to change. The sun was on the horizon, and he was one of the few left from the day shift yet again. Out of boredom, he pulled up the video feed again, and studied the raccoon, every detail there was, clothing, texture, body build, anything to change his focus.

After staring at the automatic twelve second loop of the raccoon walking around the corner for probably the thirtieth time, something finally caught his eye. As the raccoon came around the corner, his hand was caught in the sun for a brief moment. Something looked off about the mammal's hand. Wolford enhanced the image, and something was showing up. He enhanced it again and again until he got a good look at it. It glistened in the sun, like metal. Metal-coated glove, or… an artificial limb? Will began to connect a thousand dots all at once, and it seemed to all be coming together. He jumped from his desk and frantically drew and stamped tacks all over the wall, watching all his work merge into one answer.

Twenty minutes later, he was done. The catastrophe on his wall all had a meaning. It all led down to one answer. He smiled to himself, feeling like the most powerful mammal in the world. There was only one thing left to do: call Judy and tell her the good news.

~

Buzz

Buzz

The sun had gone down a little ways past the tall buildings surrounding Judy's apartment, leaving a colorful and cloudy orange sky. She didn't know she had fallen asleep until her phone started buzzing and ringing in her hand, waking her up. She didn't bother to open her aching eyes as she answered the phone and brought it to her ear.

"Hello, this is Hopps." she said drowsily.

"Judy?" a familiar voice said. "You're back in Zootopia now, right?"

"Wolford?" Judy asked as she sat up and rubbed an eye, waking up steadily. "Yeah, yeah I'm back. Why?"

"I think I have something that'll interest you." he said, sounding like he had a big smile on his face. "We got a lead on Nick."

Judy's eyes widened with excitement. "I'll be there in five minutes!" Judy said and hung up, her heart racing. Everything inside her screamed 'Yes!'

Without realizing it, Judy had been asleep for about two hours after returning back. She looked down at her yellow cream t-shirt and blue jeans and decided to quickly change into her clean police uniform. Soon she was out the door with her keys and c-Phone in paw.

"I'm coming, Nick." she muttered, a cunning smile on her face as she ran across the hall and down the stairs, her eyes crackling like fire. "Vacation time is over."

She bolted outside straight to the patrol car on the curb. She went through the passenger door since it was closer to her, and simply crawled to the driver's seat. Everything she did from the moment Wolford called was frantic. She suddenly felt free again, felt determined to pull through. She was ready to take on the world, especially if she were to find Nick today. The thought of seeing him again was enough to make her push harder. Jamming the keys into the ignition, she drove off towards the precinct.

The drive took about fifteen minutes, but to her, it felt like only a few seconds. She was so eager to get back out into the field and be a cop again. She ripped the keys out of the ignition and sprinted into the building, trying to be careful not to slip like the last time. She headed straight for Wolford's office, but before she got in there, Bogo stepped between her and the door. He had a stern look on his face, and it told her she was forgetting something.

"Sir?" she asked timidly, still looking past him at the door she wished so desperately to be inside.

"Remember what I said when I gave you your vacation time?" Bogo asked her. She thought for a moment, and remembered what he said about her returning to work. "Evaluation?"

"Correct. In my office." Bogo beckoned her to follow, and Judy took one last look at Wolford's door before fixing her attention in front of her, towards the Chief's office. She felt like just jumping straight for the door. She didn't have the time for this. Nick had to be found.

-

After a few physical and psychiatric tests, Bogo sat back down at his desk while Judy sat in the chair across from it. She wore the same look she did the day he was scolding her for going after Weaselton instead of performing her duties as a meter maid. She just hoped that her responses and performance were enough to convince Bogo she could continue to function as a cop.

He was looking through all the folders and documents, scanning them with his eyes very carefully. Every second that passed made Judy more anxious. The constant ticking of the clock on the wall in the otherwise dead silent room was nerve-racking. The tension and desperation was eating her from the inside out. 'What if he doesn't let me on Nick's case? What will I do if he does? What if I'm allowed to work, but not on the case with Wolford?' That question sent a small shiver down her spine.

Finally, Bogo sat the files down and looked Judy in the eye with his glasses still on. He now looked satisfied. Was he going to say what she hoped he would say?

"Congratulations, Hopps. I will put you on Nick's missing mammal case." Bogo said to her.

Judy squealed with excitement as she almost bounced up and down in her seat. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said in a high-pitched voice.

"BUT," Bogo interrupted, causing Judy to freeze in her chair before she could give him a hug he probably didn't want. "You still need to follow protocol. You are on his case, but it is just that: a case. You need to do this by the book. Understand, Hopps?"

"Yes, sir."

"Even if you find him, remember your training and knowledge. Don't let anything get to you."

"I understand, sir."

"Good, you may go meet Wolford now."

The rabbit had a huge smile on her face as she bolted out the door to her boss' office. She turned and ran down the stairs to the second floor, where Wolford's office was. Judy was more than prepared for the news that would meet her on the other side of the door. Before she knew it, she was at Wolford's office already, pulling the handle down with her rabbit weight and pushing the door open using her feet just far enough so it wouldn't lock her out again. She then pushed it with her shoulder and moved inside the room. There, Will was at the desk with his laptop, probably doing some more research.

"I'm here!" Judy said, very eager to hear what Wolford had discovered while she was gone.

"Great, I think we've found the raccoon, which will likely lead us to Nick.

"YES!" she squealed before immediately restoring her calm demeanor and clearing her throat. "What do we know?" she asked, slightly less enthusiastically as she walked over and hopped up on the little stool to look at what Wolford had on his desk. She had to keep her calm in order to focus.

"We have a name and a previous occupation, but that may be all we need." Will pulled up the ZPD profile on the mammal. "His name is Rick Wilkins, and he was a bomb disposal mammal for the police force in the Badgleck metro area. He was quite good at his job and was paid well, but was let go after he lost his arm trying to dispose of a bomb."

Everything sounded normal to Judy, except now she remembered he had both his hands from the recorded video on the traffic camera. "Wait, didn't he have two in the video feed we had?" she asked with confusion.

"Indeed he does." Wolford pointed at the enhanced screenshot on his laptop. The raccoon's right hand was glistening in the sunlight.

"He has… a prosthetic arm?" she asked.

"Yup. And a pretty good one at that. Wherever he got it, they have some pretty advanced tech."

"How do we find him?"

"I've been searching for any purchases or loans from this guy, but I keep coming up empty. Hopefully, Fangmeyer's got the location decrypted."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. "Hey, Will, its Markus. I got the location decrypted."

"Come in." Wolford said to him, and he opened the door with a sheet of paper in his hand. He walked up to both of them at the desk and showed the document to them. "I was able to pinpoint this location here. There's little room for error."

The location was a building that had not been used, bought, or leased in at least six years, and it was next to a recently built coffee shop. "3664 Starset Avenue." Judy said quietly. "Nick told me he heard strange noises coming from this building anytime he went to the store next to it. There's gotta be something wrong in there."

"Well, I say you two arrange something with Bogo to go check it out." Fangmeyer told his fellow officers.

"Sounds good." Wolford replied, starting his way outside his office. "There's really nothing else we can do, so let's arrange something now. Nice work, Markus."

"You too, buddy." he replied with a pat on the tiger's shoulder.

"Alright, let's go." Judy said as she followed the wolf out the door. This was the day. The day she finds her partner, her friend. 

* * *

_7:52PM_

The sky had now turned to a dim blue. Judy's heart was beating slightly faster than normal as she drove to the building. She honestly didn't know what to expect, other than this building was leased out by the same raccoon that had supposedly kidnapped Nick, so she could only hope he was in there along with the raccoon. Save Nick and arrest the raccoon. Then, they could go back to the way things were. Before he was kidnapped. Start over with after their date. She'd give anything for that.

She parked the vehicle on the curb on the opposite side of the street and turned off the engine. The rabbit took her pistol in her paw and exited the vehicle to take a short look at the building. About three stories high, made of worn-down brick, and had few windows on the front, and fewer that weren't covered by old wood. It looked haunted from the outside, and it felt out of place compared to the rest of the buildings. The red-grey brick did not compare well to steel and glass, or to the updated stone buildings.

Judy ran across the street to beat the traffic, and found the front door was heavily barricaded with wood. She was not gonna get in through there, but the narrow alley on the left looked promising, yet unsettling. Fear was not something she needed to be concerned about, so she went down there, looking for another door. The alley was no more than six feet across, so it felt a bit claustrophobic. She didn't head much farther down before she found another door. The nature of this alley reminded her of the one where the ferret last was. One of her last moments with Nick. She pulled on the handle, and it didn't open. 'Duh, it was locked.' She had learned a thing or two from Nick, and took out a paper clip. She began to bend and fold the clip as necessary, before breaking it in two pieces and began to work on the lock.

After about thirty seconds of careful prodding, she cracked it and the door was unlocked. When she pulled the handle again, the door opened, and the deep echo suggested the building was large and spacious. When she stepped in, the cold floor sent a jolt through her. It was dark, but still had plenty of ambient light for her to barely see the room packed with large boxes and the carts to carry them. Whoever had this floor was using it for storage.

She took a few steps inside, and the door quickly slammed shut, causing her to jump and shattering the beam of light that came from outside. Judy did not have a clue what to expect from this. Her mind was reduced to a drone that did the job it was programmed to do.

A dim, white light glowed from downstairs, and the rest of the structure had no active lighting, so she decided to investigate down there. Her body trembled and her heart raced even more as she slid her hand on the railing, almost clutching it while taking step after step down the creaking, wooden stairs. The ominous nature of the building made it feel as though a demon was lurking in the shadows. Halfway down, she nervously looked behind herself just to be safe. She felt stupid afterwards for thinking there was something behind her.

The doe took her final step downwards onto the dusty, concrete floor, and to her right was another room. It had a window with white curtains that obscured the room from the inside, and there was a door to the left of that. Judy stared with wide eyes as she saw a silhouette walk back and forth past the curtains. Judy took very slow steps towards the room, listening to every subtle sound that came from that room. The thought about what was in there had not crossed her mind. She just felt as though she had to investigate what was in there with no regard for why.

"Um, sir?" A male voice asked, causing Judy to stop in fear.

She heard some grunting inside the veiled room, grunting that triggered something inside her. It felt… familiar. The voice was one she heard before. Then something crashed from within the room, causing her to jump a little. She heard more struggling and grunting from both the mammals in the room.

"Sir, please lie back down. We're almost done." Someone, something else was in there. "Don't! NO!" He shouted as more crashing emerged.

There was screaming now, and the familiar grunting sound could not be mistaken. She KNEW who the other voice was. Without thinking, Judy ran to the door with her pistol drawn. She busted the door open with her shoulder and pointed her gun. Before she could even yell 'Freeze,' her heart felt as if it was hit by a truck as she beheld the sight on the other side. She covered her mouth with her free hand and gasped, almost screaming in horror at what she saw.

"Oh, my God!" She cried as she saw a sight that she could only describe as the devil's idea of good news.

Taking a step back, she could not believe what it was.

It was Nick.

Nick Wilde, her partner.

Her friend.

She had found him, but it wasn't him, not the Nick she knew.

He was in a hospital gown with his back turned to her. He turned his head slowly and looked over his shoulder at her. The eyes that met hers were bloodshot with tears running down them, his paws stretched out to his sides and… they were sharp, slightly shiny, and dripping with blood. Blood from the bobcat he had slashed across the chest with the razor sharp edges, and the bobcat was now lying against the wall, bleeding out and trying to remain awake. The fox's hands hand a mechanical and an electronic look all the same, with the entirety of his two paws replaced with synthetic parts that meshed with the rest of his organic body. Small wires dangled from his hands and ear. His right ear was mostly covered with flesh and fur, but under all that, it had more electrical components on it, with blinking lights and servos. Stitches were all over his body, with most of them being around his wrists and the base of his mechanical ears.

The overall look of Nick was one of a cyborg, a horrible merging of flesh and steel. But to Judy, it was nothing more than a nightmare brought to life. Her tears flowed instantly with no delay to well up as she tried to speak through the feeling of being choked by her own body. Before she could speak, Nick uttered his own words to her.

"Ju-dy…" He said as he turned towards her, reaching his blood-soaked hands out towards her.

The memory of her nightmare after he went missing returned to her mind, but this was far worse than that dream or anything she could have ever imagined. The horror was too much to bear. He tried to walk closer, but he fell on his hands and knees, grunting and trying desperately to keep his consciousness. The metallic claws of his fractured the tile floor and began to make a faint whirring sound as he tried to clutch it, anything to directly suppress the pain.

"Nick… oh my God, what have they done to you?" She asked with no intent for an answer. She suddenly remembered the radio on her belt and grabbed it frantically with her shaking hands. How could she have forgotten her own protocols? "Officer, Hopps to Dispatch."

She could barely speak through her own gasps while her tear-stained eyes watched in horror as her partner suffered from God knows what on the once white floor, now covered in fresh blood. The grunting and growling speared every part of Judy's heart.

"I need an ambulance at 3664 Starset Avenue, alleyway entrance." She shut her eyes to push out the tears and then began to sob.

"I got one on the way, and backup cops should be there now." Clawhauser replied. "What's wrong, Judy? What happened?" He asked with concern.

"It's Nick. He's… he's…" She could not find the words to describe what she saw, or how she felt.

She simply whimpered as she put the radio back on her belt and knelt down to level with Nick, refusing to listen to the cheetah talking back through the radio. She tried to meet the eyes of her partner as she crawled closer. The emotion within his eyes spoke little, but they demonstrated a fear, a desperation. He seemed slightly calmer as he gazed into her hurting eyes.

"Nick…" She reached her hand out to touch his cheek.

Judy being there had softened Nick's emotions; the emerald eyes she so desperately missed were right there, and they were gentle same as they were angry and hurt. She had a slight tinge of fear, but it could not fight the pain or apprehension she felt from seeing him again.

Before her hand made contact with him, he howled and roared with pain as electricity coursed through his body, scaring Judy. The bobcat had gotten up and took a taser to him while clutching his own wound. Nick tried to swing his arm and lash out again, but he was too weak and dazed to fight back.

"Nick!" Judy cried out again.

The bobcat kicked him away with a tumble, and went after the rabbit with the little strength he had left, a rage burning in his eyes. She screamed in fear and squirmed backwards as the bobcat grunted and tried to jab her with the taser. Fear consumed every instinct and emotion she had left.

In an instant, the bobcat was knocked back by a ZPD tiger that came charging in. Judy looked behind her, and Wolford was there too with a pistol drawn and another mammal next to him. It was definitely a canine, but she could not make out exactly what kind, not after what she just saw. She was still frozen with fear in the middle of the room, her nose twitching like crazy. She heard the others call out commands and speaking into their radios. Wolford walked over to the fox's smoking body and checked it. He was still breathing and had a pulse. He looked to Judy.

"Did you get an ambulance?" He asked her.

Still overcome with shock, Judy replied, "Y-yes. It's on the way." She was lying on the floor, propped up on her elbow, too frightened to move.

Her nightmares just became real…


	7. Fixing What is Broken

**Chapter 7 - Fixing what is Broken**

-

"Judy, you can see him now." Will said to her.

The doe did not even bat her eyes as she slid off the bench in the hospital lobby and followed a large margin behind both Wolford and Bogo. The events from a few hours ago left her feeling cold, confused, and afraid. She had so many questions, but she could not utter a single word.

The only thing that ran through her mind was how she found Nick… and the pain from seeing what looked like a nightmare cast over him.

Like a demon destroyed his body, leaving only his soul to cry out…

Bogo opened the door, and Judy gasped yet again as she laid her eyes on the fox inside the brightly-lit room, lying motionless on the hospital bed. The sight of seeing Nick on the bed, barely breathing, the excessive equipment hooked up to him, the torn flesh and dried blood over his ears and hands, all of it weighed Judy's soul down like an anchor. Her face had run dry from all the tears, but she couldn't help but continue to sob as she walked up to the bed and clutched his neck.

"Judy, careful!" Wolford said quickly, stepping closer to the bed.

"What have they done to him?!" she said with her face still in his fur. She'd be further matting his fur had her eyes not been stripped dry of every scrap of moisture.

"Judy, don't…" he said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "His body has gone through a lot of change over the past week. We need to let it adapt, or he might not recover."

Judy looked up at the wolf. "Will he be okay?" she asked him with pleading, amethyst eyes.

Not wanting to hurt her feelings any greater, "We can only hope for the best…" he said to her with a reassuring paw on her shoulder. "And you need to take a breather. Can I drive you home?"

"No, I'll stay here for the night. I don't wanna leave him again…"

Will gave her a small nod before heading out the door, leaving Judy in the room with her friend. She hopped up onto the bed next to him and gently caressed his tattered neck fur with her paw, watching his chest slowly rise and fall from his relaxed breathing. She looked down at his hands. They were now completely metal, starting from his wrist down. All of his original flex points were there, and his tendons were now more mechanical. His wrist had a small cuff around it, with a couple loose wires hanging out, and behind that, the metal met flesh, bound together by stitches. Aside from his hands, the rest of his body appeared to be normal fox biology. Yet his ears were scathed, teeth were missing, dried blood splatters ran all over his body… Judy began to shed more tears as she remembered the horror she endured earlier that day, and the past six without Nick. Though it had been one day shy of a week, she still missed him greatly. And now, the rabbit didn't know what hurt more: knowing he was tortured and experimented on, or the lack of knowing his condition. The fact that now she couldn't possibly know if things could go back to the way they were left her with a knot in her stomach.

Bringing herself to break the feeling of dread, she looked over and saw a light switch. She reached over and flicked it down, leaving only the floodlights from the side of the building to shine through the window right above the bed. The doe then lay her head on his chest, listening to him breathe and let his chest rock her to sleep as he did so. She doubted her own ability to rest, yet she tried anyway. A futile attempt, but it was all she could do while she waited for him to wake.

To see his eyes…

To hear his voice…

To see him smile…

* * *

Just as she expected, she lay with her eyes closed and a resting mind, yet her senses were still active. She could sense the blue twilight outside the window. Earlier in the night, she put one earbud in her droopy ear and just let the music play at a quiet volume so she could distract her thoughts and maybe find some rest. She shuffled around constantly trying to get comfortable, until she relaxed leaning up against Nick's left side, with her head partially on his hip and one ear flopped over it.

 _ **"I wish I could feel it all for you  
If I could, I would take back all that you've been through  
And I would find a safer place for you to run  
When you've come undone**_

 _ **I wish I could take the pain away  
If I could, I would paint for you a brand new day  
But for now, you've gotta hold on through the night  
I know we'll survive**_

 _ **Oh, no, I'm never gonna let it go  
I'll keep fighting, I'll keep fighting**_

 _ **Oh no, I'm never gonna let it go  
I'll keep fighting, I'll keep fighting**_

 _ **Nothing's gonna bring us down, nothing's gonna take us out  
Nothing's gonna stop us now, nothing's gonna stop us now"**_

While in her state of half-sleep, she felt something oddly warm on her shoulder. Without feeling startled in the least, her right eye opened just a little so she could get a glimpse of the sensation she felt. She saw Nick's glistening, metal paw. _'Just his paw…'_ she mused inside her head as she closed her eye again. _'Wait… his paw?'_ Both her eyes flashed wide open as she now realized what happened.

 _'Nick moved his paw!'_

She accidentally tugged her earbud out as she quickly rotated around and looked at the fox with wide, purple eyes and perked-up ears. The sight of his barely opened emerald eyes and small smile sparked a sense of happiness inside her she could not comprehend.

And when he spoke… she began to cry tears of joy.

"Hey, Carrots." he said in a weak voice, still smiling.

After he finished, Judy leaped into his neck without hesitation, causing him to grunt. She clutched it tightly, wanting to hold him forever. The joy she felt consumed every other emotion.

"I've missed you so much, Nick!" she cried into his neck. "So, so much!"

"I missed you too, Toot-Toot." he replied, bringing his arms around to embrace her. "It feels so good to see your face and hear your voice again."

She sat back up and placed her hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes. "Wh-what have they done to you?" she asked as tears streamed down her cheeks. " _Who_ did this to you?"

"Can't remember much right now. It's all a blur, really." he replied. "But just… savor the moment for now, okay? It's been too damn long."

She nodded and lay back down on his chest. "I've been so scared this week, Nick. After you were kidnapped and I got that call from you… It's just been so terrible…" She began to sob yet again, bringing her paws to cover her face.

"It's over, Judes, okay? I'm here now. I'll be fine." He placed his paw on her head and began to stroke her ears. "We'll be fine…"

"Please, don't go…" she pleaded with her face partially buried in his arm, while also clutching it tightly with her arms.

"Never again." he replied. "I will be right here, always."

And with that, Judy drifted into a quiet slumber, followed closely by Nick. She felt a peaceful serenity she had dearly missed. She finally had her cherished fox friend back.

* * *

Later that morning, the sun was charging through the window, bringing a relaxing warmth to the room. For both the fox and the bunny, the sun had never felt so radiantly beautiful. A new day, a new start, had begun. Bogo and the nurse, a cheetah, came in to see the two awake and talking to each other. Judy was sitting on her knees, looking at Nick with wide eyes as if he was telling a captivating, fantasy tale.

"You're up faster than I expected." the female cheetah said to Nick.

"Yeah, me too." he said with his 'sly fox' attitude. "With what they've done to me over the past week, I'm actually surprised I'm still breathing. Yay for me?" He raised his hands a playful manner to go along with his crafty voice.

"Alright, Mr. Wilde, I'm gonna need to do some tests on you to make sure you'll come out okay, alright?" the nurse asked.

"Be my guest." he replied with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

Judy looked to Bogo as he spoke in his traditional gruff voice "Hopps, I'll also need to speak with you on this matter. Come with me." He turned and left the room, while Judy looked to Nick again, hesitant to go after being away for so long.

"I'll be right here, Carrots… alright?" he reassured her. "You go talk to Buffalo Butt, and we can get coffee or something later." The sincere smile on his face never failed to make her feel warm inside. "Sound good?"

"Okay…" she replied as she slid off the bed and started out the door. Before she left, the doe turned to give him one last wave and said a quiet 'Bye', and he returned a salute as she left and the nurse began to take tests.

After she left, she wanted nothing more than to be back in the room with him. The separation was hard to bear, especially after so long. _'He'll be fine.'_ she reminded herself. _'He's with doctors, and there's no danger here. We're gonna make it through this.'_ A general feeling of sadness overcame her, but she fought to keep her head up.

Bogo led Judy into a small room with greyish-blue carpet and an oak wood desk with nothing more on it than a lamp, a cup of pens, and a small stack of folders. There it was again; the slight intimidation of being in the office with the buffalo.

"Have a seat." he said, pointing to the chair as he moved around the desk and sat in the chair on the other side. The small rabbit climbed up the seat with little difficulty and decided to stand rather than sit. She had a feeling that this meeting was not gonna be very long. Bogo let out a sigh and faced the doe. "I will assume you know exactly what we will be discussing, Hopps." She simply nodded. He nodded as well. "Good. Now, we are certain Wilde will be in peak physical condition within a week or two," Bogo took one of the folders from the desk and opened it in front of him. "probably back on the force in under a month. I will assume you'd like to help with his recovery?"

"Yes sir." Judy replied without hesitation.

"Alright." He began to write in the folder he had. "So, can we agree on you work mornings on parking duty, and in the afternoons, assist the nurses with your partner's recovery?"

"Um, parking duty, sir?" she asked. Parking duty was the least favorable job she could be given. She never liked doing it, and with Nick in his current state, it felt more daunting than ever.

The buffalo sighed yet again. "Hopps…" he started with a soft and understanding voice. "you and I both know that detective work is harder and produces less desirable material when the officer is under stress, especially this intensely. We also know that you and Wilde have a relationship that exceeds the boundaries of 'friends' or 'partners,' and as such, I cannot condone you going back to high-level investigator work this soon. Do you understand?"

Judy wanted to argue. This didn't seem fair, but deep down, she knew he was right. "Yes, sir." she replied with a sigh and her eyes down.

"Excellent." Bogo rose from his chair and moved around the desk. "Now, Dr. Doyle has something we think you need to see. Follow me." He walked out the door and Judy followed closely behind him. They passed by Nick's room, and she could not comprehend how disappointed she was to see the door closed. She fixed her eyes in front of her again, and she saw a meerkat in a doctor's uniform talking with a bunny nurse. The meerkat took notice of Bogo, and told the bunny they'd discuss it another time, whatever the matter happened to be.

The meerkat walked closer to the buffalo. "Chief." he greeted in a very formal manner, demonstrating a slight British accent to boot. Despite the fact that meerkats were regularly smaller than rabbits, this one stood just an inch shorter than Judy, minus the ears.

"Doctor." he replied with a nod. "And this is Officer Judy Hopps."

"Pleasure to meet you, Doyle." Judy said, offering a pawshake, which the meerkat kindly obliged to.

"Pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Hero of Zootopia. You've made quite a reputation for yourself, I'd say."

"Thank you." she replied with a smile. Between the voice and the formal appearance, his presence felt almost just like the mammal from the Dr. Zoo show with the time-travelling phone booth, and this brought a certain charm to the meerkat.

"Cut the formalities, Doctor." Bogo interrupted. "Let's get down to business."

"Ah, yes. Follow me, Officers." The meerkat turned around, and as he did, Judy noticed a scar on the left side of his head, a straight line going from right behind his ear down to his neck. It looked like an old scar, but it was distinct nevertheless. Judy was very hesitant to ask about it, and before she could, he had already led them to his office.

The doctor opened the door using the magnetic switch on the lower end of the door to release the latch, and switched on the light. Judy followed him inside, and Bogo behind her, having to crouch a bit to fit inside. On the other side, the room was very spacious, complete with a desk, two chairs in front, one in the back, and a couch in the corner with a nearly full bookshelf behind it, facing the desk. The carpet was the same greyish blue that all the other rooms had, and the ceiling lights were light bulbs concealed with a smoky glass globe around each one. A mounted light-wall with x-ray images on it was on the wall next to the couch, set between the desk and the seat. The blue and black sheets on the light-wall appeared to be Nick's, and the metal claws he has. No more than two seconds of observing, and they already made her stomach turn ill. They brought her back to when she first found him. Torn, bleeding, broken…

"Over here." Doyle beckoned before Judy could reanimate the thoughts further. "Now, we took some x-rays on Wilde shortly after he arrived. We discovered that his bones have all been infused with an unknown alloy. His whole skeletal structure is augmented to be stronger and denser while retaining the same weight and size. It's most definitely titanium-based, but is not the real thing. My theory is that they altered it to be anti-corrosive or to lower toxicity, thereby decreasing the chances of heavy metal poisoning, maybe even accept bone material to cover it in a sort of enamel. His paws and feet have been completely amputated and replaced with mechanical parts. The hydraulic tendons over his fingers are wired into his nervous system, so he can move them just like normal, and his feet run off of their own servos in the joints instead of the hybrid setup his hands have. This may allow him to run faster on two feet, and perhaps even faster on all fours. How the mammals that kidnapped him managed this whole process in under a week is beyond me."

While Bogo remained expressionless and sedentary, Judy's stomach began to turn even further, and she was starting to feel light-headed. But she did not waver and continued to listen to the doctor.

"The system he has also uses parts that require no external lubrication. They are designed to eliminate the need to add liquid to allow the parts to move freely. But the general nature of any mechanism like this probably demands he clean them himself every now and then. Dirt, dust, water, dried blood, perhaps, will cause problems over time, especially for his feet. He shouldn't need to wash them any more than he normally would, though."

Judy noticed a concentrated amount of metal around Nick's wrist, in the shape of a cuff. She remembered observing this last night when she was with him. Curious, she asked, "What's that around his wrist?" as she pointed to it.

"That is the anchor. It keeps the artificial hand attached to his arm." he replied. "It contains the joints and the self-sustaining battery for his paws. I was able to do a bit of looking, and found that there's also a small computer in there. Quite powerful for its size, and seems almost unnecessary. I have theorized that it's either a regulator for the battery or diagnostics for the devices if errors occur, but even then, it's a lot of power for something that simple. I'll see what more I can figure out about this."

"Alright. Just… don't break it or short it out or whatever. I don't want him in any more pain."

"You have my word, Miss Hopps." Doyle said with a humble bow.

"How long before he can resume duty?" Bogo asked.

"His body has gone through a rapid amount of change over the past week, and so we need to let it adapt." the meerkat replied. "We're not gonna let him even try to walk for a few days. I'm surprised he's as awake and active as he is today. I'd say… two weeks? It all depends on how well he can walk over time. We're still not a hundred percent sure on his motor skills with his paws either, so we'll also have to see how well that'll play out."

Just then, Dr. Doyle's watch beeped. "Excuse me, I've got another patient I have to meet with." he said as he checked his watch and moved to the door. Bogo and Judy followed. "I'll try to keep you guys updated on his condition throughout the week. We'll see each other soon."

"Sounds good, Doctor. Thank you." the doe said to him with a smile as she left his office.

"No problem, Officer." He shut the door and started down the hall with a goodbye wave. "I'll see you around."

Judy replied with her own salute as they parted ways. Bogo went back to the precinct, and Judy remained in the hospital so she could see Nick later.

The tests that the nurse, later discovered by Judy to be Doyle's assistant, had a lot of things she needed to go over with Nick, so the rabbit was not able to go see Nick for the remainder of the morning and part of the afternoon. Judy remained in the hospital for nearly the whole day, talking with other doctors, family that was visiting and decided to drop by, and she got choked up telling Jackie how she found Nick in the old building and how scared she was when she saw him. She made a mental note to ask Bogo what they did with the bobcat so she could interrogate him, since he and the mysterious raccoon are the only individuals Judy has linked to Nick's condition. She also made a point to ask Wolford regarding tracking down the raccoon. He can't be hiding too well after they found one of his multiple places of operation. He's got a base somewhere, and Judy is determined to find it.

 _Somewhere, somehow, she'd find justice for her partner._

 _…Or will it be vengeance?_


	8. The Past Can't Be Undone

**Chapter 8 – The Past Can't Be Undone**

-

"Judy. Judy, I'm slipping," Nick said, trying to split his weight between the upstairs railing and Judy's shoulder.

"I'm trying, Nick," she snapped, trying to keep him from falling down the stairs.

Nick's recovery had gone far slower than they would have liked. Though he was able to leave the hospital, he wouldn't be quite ready for police work for at least two more weeks, to Bogo's frustration. During this time, they decided he'd stay with Judy so she could help speed up his recovery. This way, they would both have time to adapt to this new way of life.

"Ow!" Nick yelped as Judy accidentally stepped on his tail and nearly fell down the stairs herself. "Carrots!"

"Sorry!" She replied with an apologetic smile.

The two continued up the stairs and into her apartment, struggling and grunting the entire way. When they finally got inside, Nick made his way to the large chair in her apartment. Judy tried to set him down gently, but the imbalance of his stance and weight brought him down on the chair in an ungraceful manner. Both the rabbit and the fox were exhausted and breathing heavily from the ordeal.

"I feel like a kit…" Nick growled, more to himself than his friend, as he sat askew in the chair. He straightened himself up and laid his head back, hoping to catch a little break.

Judy sat down in her chair and turned to the fox across from her. Not sure what to do or what to say, she paid attention to her empty stomach and asked Nick, "So, what do you want for dinner?"

"Make what you want, Carrots," he replied carelessly, still exhausted and not meeting the rabbit's lavender eyes. "Your house, your rules."

"Yeah, but you're the guest," she rebuked. "The least I can do is help you feel comfortable," she added with a cocky smile.

Nick playfully put his hand under his chin and looked up at the ceiling. "Mm… I'm still gonna let you pick, though," he said, looking at her with a smirk.

Judy puffed from out the corner of her lip and said with her same smile, "Fine."

She stood up and walked to the kitchen. Bending down and giving Nick a nice view, she pulled out lettuce, baby-greens, an onion, some tomatoes, cucumbers, and some dried cockroaches. Nick looked away when he noticed he was staring and decided to pull out his phone to give him something else to look at. Furbook was crowded with memes and videos of kits and ads and electoral rants. A few news articles were sprinkled in, but nothing that caught Nick's eyes. Finally, a silent video with subtext played on his tiny screen, and it was a scientific one about how, after many researchers had come together and after years of research and building, a real scientific-fiction-like robot named Sarah, closely resembling a wolf, had finally been built.

Normally, Nick would have shrugged and moved on, but the robot was so life-like, and it seemed to truly be thinking. It was having an interview with another wolf, a male, who says to have helped create Sarah.

"So, how do you feel?" The wolf asked.

The robot considered the question for a moment and asked, "Rigid."

The wolf chuckled and Nick smiled; he could relate.

"I bet you do," the wolf said kindly. "I mean, what emotion do you feel about being alive?"

"Curious," the robot replied. "Are you curious to be alive?"

"A little," the wolf said with a shrug. "Are you happy to be alive?"

The robot looked at the scientist in front of her and said, "You say that as if I should be happy, but... I haven't been alive long enough to decide, or know what that means, to be happy, to be alive."

"That's true," the wolf agreed. "As a robot, you have a whole new view of our world, having little knowledge, but no deep understanding yet, but you will gain that over time."

Nick scrolled by the video and thought about what he had read. What were those people trying to do if it was possible to make a robot like that? They had replaced some of his limbs and organic parts for mechanical parts. It wasn't like he was crippled or anything, either. He was fine. If only he could have met the one in charge they had whispered about. What was his name? No... what was her name?

"Nick, what kind of dressing do you want?" Judy asked, breaking his train of thought.

Nick looked up at the bunny and answered, "Oh, uh... whatever you got is fine."

Judy smiled and tossed the salad in the bowl and then pulled out a bottle of dressing from the fridge. "M'kay, well dinner's ready. I'll make a blueberry pie later," she added with a wink.

Nick tried to get up, but it hurt and he winced, sitting back down. It was truly frustrating to him; being unable to perform simple tasks without help. Judy saw this and asked,

"Do you want help?"

"Nah, I got it," Nick huffed, trying to regain enough strength to move.

Judy spooned some salad into a smaller bowl and said, "No, wait. Let's just eat there,"

"I don't wanna be any trouble, Judes," Nick said as sharp as a knife, trying to boost himself up again, still with no success.

"You're not gonna be any trouble, Nick," Judy said firmly, to make sure he knew it applied to much more than getting in and out of a chair. Nick looked back at her. "I know what I signed up for when I said you should stay with me for the next two weeks."

Her voice so cold and firm, the fox couldn't help but give up his futile attempts. He got comfortable as Judy carried two salad bowls and the bottle of dressing under her arm and passed out dinner as she sat down.

* * *

The sun fell lower, the air grew colder, and the activity of other mammals outside the cozy apartment lessened between the dayshift mammals already home, and the nightshift mammals not yet ready to go. Yet the rabbit and fox were in their own little world, unfazed by the passage of time that occurred outside the building. When they have each other, the world ceases to matter. They talked and laughed as much as they waited in an awkward silence, eating dinner and awaiting the next moment one of them decided to say something… anything.

The one question that was on Judy's mind from the minute she found Nick in the building until now, was what happened to him while he was down there? How much could he remember? She was very hesitant to ask while he was in the hospital thanks to the fear that he'd avoid the question or he may have a panic attack over it. She understood how hard this probably was for him despite how much of his outside behavior looks no different than before he was ever missing.

Judy looked up from her bowl to the fox. He had set aside his dinner and just picked out the goodies from the salad bowl instead of using the fork. She felt a bit guilty for making something that involved a utensil to eat, knowing the dexterity in his paws was poor, but he didn't seem to mind. Classic Nick, always finding a way around life's troubles. It brought a smile to her face. She found a small light of hope; maybe they could have life back to the way it was.

"Carrots?" Nick asked.

"Hmm?" Judy reacted, trying to play off the trance she was in.

"You okay? You looked distant for a moment there."

"It's nothing," she replied. "How's your dinner?"

Nick completely ignored the question. "I know you can lie to me better than that," he said with a smirk. "Now what's up?"

Judy conceded, knowing this was not a fight she could win. She sighed and set her bowl on the end table, turning to face the fox. "I just… what happened to you? What do you remember? Who's responsible?"

Nick stared at Judy before he sighed and set his bowl down as well. He rotated the chair to face Judy, and placed his arms on his knees and hands under his chin. "You concluded it was the raccoon that kidnapped me. That's completely true. But… he's not the one behind it all. He's working for someone, but I have no idea who."

Judy focused on listening and tried to visualize it as he spoke. "After I dropped you off, I went home and found that something seemed a bit… off. The friendly jaguar that normally ran the front desk was there when I left, but she wasn't there when I got back. In her place was a wolf who looked very bored being up there. The lock on my door felt a little more broke than it usually was, but I glossed over it. The date really did leave me giddy." He chuckled a bit, making Judy smile. "Anyways, I got inside, turned on the TV, got a late-night snack, and when I texted you, I heard a strange noise from somewhere in my apartment. I thought nothing of it, assuming it was the plumbing or something. You and I talked for a bit, and out of nowhere… I couldn't breathe, and I had dropped my phone from the shock. There was a paw on my muzzle, holding it shut with a strong grip, but it wasn't a normal paw, it was metal; not unlike what I have now." Nick added, holding up a paw as it glistened in the light.

"He then tried to go for my arteries and put me to sleep, but I slipped out from his grip. I scrambled and stood in the middle of the room. The figure in front of me was taller, stronger, heavier. I knew I couldn't fight him, so I tried to escape into the lobby. Before I even made it to the door, he grabbed my scruff, and hurled me into the wall, nearly putting a hole in it - I didn't know he was so fast! - I fell on the chair and lamp, and tried to use it as a club or even a staff, but he broke it into bits with his metal arm, grabbed me by the neck, and slammed me into the floor. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was his cold, relentless eyes, staring into mine…"

Judy held a throw pillow about the size of her torso in her arms and did her best to hold back from crying. She continued to watch and listen with insistent eyes and ears. Nick stared at the floor, voicing everything he could remember with an invariable tone. With another sigh, he continued to speak.

"The next time I was conscious, I woke to a creepy surgery room. I was wide awake, so I immediately looked for a way out. I found a landline phone, so I dialed your number as fast as I could. It was so relaxing to hear your voice when you answered, and I tried to tell you where I was 'cause I was certain I had an idea. The same raccoon with the metal arm grabbed me again and threw me yet again into the gurney, toppling it. The raccoon held me down and injected me with a sleeping agent. I grabbed his wrist, trying to free myself, and when I saw it, there was a small red line around my wrist… right where the cuff is now. After a while, the next thing I felt was like an intense heat under my skin, in my blood. I didn't see anything, but I sure as hell felt it. It soon ceased, leaving me unbearably sore. Another day or two in the void, I woke up again, in the same place as before, but this time… I heard voices."

Judy's face lit up with curiosity, even more than it already was.

"A male and a female. They were just one room away, and I could hear a lot of what they were saying, much of it about 'progress' and 'the future' and one line in particular that really caught me was this: _'Everything is going according to plan. Soon enough, the city will see my progress. We'll change the world, starting with him, then her, and they'll see my genius for what it is… the future of Zootopia. The future of all mammalkind.'_ The part that caught me the most was 'starting with him, then her'. I was immediately reminded of you. I couldn't let them get to you, but before I could make another move, I was put under again, this time by a bobcat. I tried again to stop him, and when I grabbed his wrist, my paw was now bloodied and all metal, just like this…"

Nick looked back down at his metal hands before continuing. "The third time I woke, I was hell-bent on getting out of there. I woke up, saw the same mammal, and he tried to inject me with the sleeping drug again, but that wasn't gonna work no more. I grabbed the syringe and crushed it. He tried to talk me down, but I was too angry and hurt to listen. I stepped off the table, and I immediately looked down after I heard that strange noise, and saw my feet like they are now. I… lashed out at him, splattered blood on the walls and floor… I was ready to kill like a savage animal, and then… you came. Much of it was a blur after that, but I had never felt so conflicted before. I had missed you so much, but I could barely talk because I had never felt such excruciating pain before… Seconds later, I was in even more pain because of the bobcat, electrified, kicked across the room, and I just blacked out afterwards. Next time I woke… you were at my side, safe at Zootopia Medical."

Nick looked up, his eyes reflecting an old mammal's, and concluded his story with, "You have no idea how relieved I was to see you after so long…"

Judy was clutching the pillow with her arms locked in place, like she had just watched a scary movie. She looked stiff and cold and in shock. Nick gripped the arms of the chair and pushed himself up with a low grunt. He stood on his metal feet, inching his way towards her. She looked up at him, tears still covering her lavender eyes. After the fox managed to walk a few feet, he slowly knelt down next to her.

"Judy, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" He was immediately interrupted when she latched on to his neck and hugged him tightly. He put his arms around her as well and hugged back.

"It's my fault," she said darkly. "I should've done more. Instead I got on a stupid train and went back to Bunnyburrow when I could've been looking for you. How could I have been so selfish?"

"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong, okay?" He said firmly, but there was kindness and love in his voice. "No one could've stopped this."

"I could've stayed and helped look for you," the rabbit said into Nick's shoulder, more to herself than the fox, but his excellent hearing aided in understanding her words. "I could've asked to stay at your place after our date, I could've asked to do our date over there, I could've said no to the date entirely. If I had never said 'yes' to going..." Judy squeezed her eyes tight, and a single tear fell and landed on Nick's shirt as she buried her face deeper into it.

Nick held Judy by the shoulder to end their hug so he could look into her watering eyes. The feeling of seeing his paws touch her, but not feel her warmth or her soft fur deeply bothered him. Regardless, his expression remained the same.

"Carrots, NONE of this is your fault. As terrible as this is… I'd never take back the date to avoid it, because you saying 'no' would hurt way worse than anything I'm going through now."

Judy lowered her head, giving a solemn nod. "I get it. I do. I can't change what happened yesterday, but I can say what happens tomorrow."

Judy opened her eyes, and a lavender fire was crackling in them. She stood up boldly and walked to a closet. Nick watched with a raised eyebrow as she bent down to grab something leaning against the wall of the coat-closet.

"Let's get you up and at-it, Slick." Judy said, sounding much more like herself. She turned and had a crutch in each hand, her face beaming with optimism.

Nick smiled. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do to make the world a better place. _'Just another reason to love her more.'_ he thought to himself. Judy carefully handed him the crutches, and he stood up far easier with them under his shoulders. He took a few steps forward, with Judy close at his side, and suddenly felt a sense of freedom that he hadn't felt over the past few weeks. He turned and looked at the rabbit with a smile.

"Let's go for a walk."

* * *

 _Don looked down at the tiny squirrel in the incubator. They were told the best doctors in Zootopia were working hard to help her, but there was no hope. If Don's wife wasn't so determined, he would have said to give up and let her go._

 _She was bald, slightly blue, skinny, underfed, weak, and so, so small. How could she handle a world like the one Zootopia was? How could such a tiny little angle survive in a world full of demons? So weak. So, so weak. Was there any hope for her, any chance? Even if she survived, what kind of world would she live in? Don was always a tough squirrel, but now he was shattered like a fallen diamond._

 _He put his paws in the pockets of his leather jacket and a weasel doctor put a kind hand on the father's shoulder._

 _"Try to rest, sir. We will let you know if anything happens."_

 _"I'm not leaving my daughter," he said, his voice polite but firm._

 _The doctor nodded and walked to the door. He nodded to an otter nurse and grabbed his keys. He opened the door and whispered to himself, "Good luck, Rose."_

 _He went home, praying the child wouldn't just let._


	9. There's Still Work To Do

**Chapter 9 - There's Still Work To Do**

-

Nick slowly opened his eyes. The morning sunlight charged through the window, lighting and warming the whole room, aiming directly at the couch he lay on. He could hear Judy humming from somewhere in the room. He smiled to himself. Their day yesterday was the best he had ever had by far. Finally getting home from the hospital, having dinner together, Nick telling the whole story of what happened to him, and their evening walk. The fox took notice of every animal that gave a dirty or fearful look, or avoided crossing paths with him on the street entirely. But he never cared. It was hard to do so when he had Judy next to him. She loved him for who he was, whether everyone saw him as a monster or not. The trip felt far too short despite how far they went, and very frequently, Judy asked if they should turn back anytime Nick slowed down or nearly tripped, reassuring her each time he was fine and could go the distance. After they traveled over six blocks away, he conceded after his side started to hurt from hopping on one foot and the use of crutches.

Suddenly, a scent hit his nose. A very familiar one… pancakes. And coffee. That sweet smell of caffeine and maple syrup made his smile brighter. He turned his head slightly, and saw Judy hard at work with breakfast in the kitchen. The doe looked like she had been ready for the day hours ago, with her clean, pink flannel shirt (sleeves rolled up) and blue jeans. She had a smile on her face as well, almost in a bouncy mood. This… this has to be a dream, right?

Nick slid his paw out from under the blanket. Still numb, still metal. He sighed in disappointment, and clenched and opened the hand, listening to the quiet sounds of the titanium alloy parts rubbing against each other as it glistened in the sun. The fox set his paw down, looking back to Judy. She seems so happy and free-spirited. The rabbit looked over to the fox, and her contagious smile seemed to make the room even brighter.

"Morning, Nick!" she called from the kitchen.

Nick couldn't help but smile back at her. He slid the blanket off his chest and sat up, wearing a white tank top and Hakuna Matata-themed pajama pants. Judy always giggled at those. "Hey, Carrots." The fox the yawned and stretched his arms. He then scratched his side and smacked his lips. "Whatcha making?" he asked.

"Breakfast," she replied with a smirk.

"Ooh, breakfast, huh? I do say, that sounds exquisite," Nick said with a goofy, Furrench accent, drawing a giggle out of Judy. "Smells like… pancakes?" He took a big sniff. "And coffee?"

"Glad to see your sense of smell still works right," she replied with a giddy smile. "And they're almost done, too."

Nick leaned over and picked up the crutches he left at the end of the couch. With their help, he stood up with ease. This action filled Nick with a sense of pride. He looked down at his feet, feeling more like himself again. He then looked up and saw a fresh pair of clothes for him on the back of the chair. The fox instead picked up his Pawaiian shirt off the end of the couch and put it on, unbuttoned. 'Ah, I'll get them later.' he thought to himself as he quickly moved to the table where Judy was setting out a plate of pancakes, along with a red cup of coffee for Nick, almost as red as his own fur.

"You _are_ recovering fast," she said to him excitedly. "That's the fastest I've seen you move in a while."

Nick carefully sat down at the table, placing his crutches carefully against the chair. "Thanks for digging those out for me. I really do appreciate it," he said to her with a sincere smile.

"Anything for my sly fox," she replied with a smile as well. "Besides, I've gotta get you back on duty somehow."

They both laughed as each took a few pancakes. "Ooh, blueberries?' Nick asked with enthusiasm.

"Of course," she replied with a smile.

"You're the best, Carrots. Really." He quickly picked up the fork and took a bite of the blueberry pancake. Judy could see that she had done well with the pancakes, judging by the look of satisfaction on the fox's face. She was also impressed with how easily Nick took the utensil and used it with precision. But after that first bite, the dexterity decreased. He had trouble doing the pencil technique, and it pained Judy to watch his frustration with it until he resorted to holding it in a fist or dragging the slices through the syrup without the fork and eating that way.

Nick was annoyed that he had to try to relearn something he had been taught at a young age how to do. And his frustration troubled Judy, but she wasn't quite sure how to comfort him that way. Unsure of what to do, the doe took a blueberry and balanced it on her forehead. "Hey Nick, look," she said to him.

He looked up and smiled, watching the cross-eyed rabbit with the blueberry on her head. She carefully took another, and placed it on top of the one she already had; now balancing two at once. Nick's smile turned into a chuckle. "How much practice did that take?" he asked.

"More than I care to admit," she replied, carefully placing a third one on the tower. She continued stacking very carefully until she had a tower of six blueberries resting on her forehead. Nick could barely hold back his laughter as he watched the cross-eyed rabbit. She moved her paws further away from the blueberries and held them out as if she was balancing on a tightrope, holding as still as possible.

Nick's laugh turned into a devious smirk as he stood up and leaned over the table. His muzzle was close to Judy's, and her attention shifted from the blueberries to the fox. "Um, Nick, what are you-"

The fox quickly licked the bunny's forehead and swiped all the berries into his mouth, leaving Judy stunned and flustered. She stared at him with wide eyes while he smiled in amusement, knowing he successfully embarrassed the doe. Snapping out of her frozen state, she brushed the small spot of fox saliva off her forehead, still visibly blushing.

Nick started to laugh. "Oh, Carrots, you're such a joy," Nick said to her, still smiling uncontrollably.

Despite how disconcerted she was, Judy still found herself giggling at the fox's antics. "Sly fox," she said with a smile.

"Dumb bunny," Nick replied. They both laughed and continued eating their breakfast.

After a couple minutes, Judy's phone started vibrating and ringing. She picked it up and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Judy. It's Wolford," he said, sounding like he had a smile on his face.

"Oh, hey Will!" she replied in a chipper voice, which caught Nick's attention as he stuffed a pancake bite in his mouth. "How's everything at the precinct?"

"It's going good," he replied, seeming to have picked up on Judy's hyper character. "How's Nick doing? Is he moving around better?"

"Yeah, much better. I got him some crutches, and he's recovering rapidly. You wanna talk to him?"

"Not right now," he deadpanned. "Bogo needs to see both of you at the precinct."

"Wait, why? I thought we had a few weeks' leave." Judy's expression changed to concern, and Nick looked intrigued in spite of how little he could hear the wolf on the other side.

"You do. But a patrol team found something, and Bogo says you and Wilde need to see it ASAP. It's tied into your previous case with Ridley."

"What'd they find?"

Wolford was now talking with someone else, but Judy could not hear who. All that came through the line was Will's short responses to the other mammal. A few seconds later, the wolf spoke to her again. "New plan, meet me at the crime scene. I'll text you the address. See you soon."

"Alright. See ya." The line went dead, and she set the phone down.

"What was that about?" Nick asked with a mouthful of pancakes before swallowing.

"Wolford says Bogo has something he wants us to see today."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. He didn't say much." Judy's phone vibrated, and as she had guessed, it was the address. "You know this place?" she asked him, showing him her phone.

Nick leaned in closer. "1268 Firefox Lane? It's a plain old house in Tundratown. Not much to it." He took the last bite of his pancake.

"Will mentioned Ridley when he called. Not sure what it's about."

"Ridley the ferret? The one that went missing like two weeks ago?"

"Uh-huh."

Nick looked very intrigued. "Well, only one way to find out." He got up from the stool with the crutches and started walking towards the chair where his clothes were. "C'mon, let's go see what they need us for."

"Wait, Nick, I can go by myself," she protested, leaving her chair and approaching the fox. "You should stay and rest."

"He said he needed both of us, right?" Nick asked.

Judy was mildly caught off-guard by his question, especially since he didn't bat an eye at her rebuke. "Y-yeah, but..."

"Then we're going," he said firmly as he buttoned up his shirt. He turned and saw her concern. "Look, I know you're worried about me, but I'm not a helpless kit, okay?"

Judy wanted to argue, thinking that Nick should just stay here and rest, but from the sound of Wolford's voice, it was urgent. "Alright..." She took a deep breath and went to work on cleaning up the kitchen while Nick got himself dressed. As tempting as it was to help him out, she knew he wouldn't like her trying to dress him. The rabbit looked at the address from Wolford again, unable to ignore the daunting feeling of bad news she felt coming.

* * *

"1268 Firefox Lane," Judy announced as she pulled over behind another police cruiser. This house was practically in the middle of Tundratown, and had been updated more recently. The entire snowy yard had police tape around it and even a few barriers blocking the streets. There were two other cruisers at the site with the lights on, plus the one Judy parked behind. The house was up for sale until the realtors came with a couple interested buyers only to find a horrific sight right through the front door.

Judy and Nick both unbuckled their seat belts as Wolford walked up to the vehicle. "Hey!" she said to him in an excited tone as she stepped out.

"Glad you could make it, Hopps," he replied in a formal tone. He looked up and saw Nick climbing out if the vehicle with the crutches under his shoulders. "Wilde," he greeted. Judy was about to go to the other side of the vehicle to help him out, but Nick had already started closing the door by the time she could move. She remained where she was so that she didn't come off as overprotective to Nick.

Wolford looked down at Judy noticed her forehead looked a little odd. "What's up with your forehead, Hopps?" he asked.

Judy remembered what Nick did earlier that morning and started blushing under her fur again. "My wha... oh, I, um..."

"She spat in her fur," Nick said with a grin as he closed the door.

"NICK!" she yelled, quickly turning around and scowling at him. She started to walk around the vehicle, looking ready to knock the lights out of the poor fox.

"Ah-ah!" Nick said, holding up his paw and stopping Judy in her tracks. "Don't hit the crippled mammal."

"Oh my... I can't believe you just said that!"

"Gosh, you two act like a married couple," Wolford said, smiling and rolling his eyes at them.

"Ah, I'm just playing, Carrots," Nick started to walk to the other side of the vehicle. Judy rolled her eyes and huffed. The fox looked up at the wolf. "So, what is it you want us to see, Will?" he asked.

"It's… not pretty," the wolf replied somberly. With a gesture of his paw, he started walking, and the fox and rabbit followed close behind up the neatly shoveled sidewalk. The outside of the house didn't look too bad. It was well built for the weather it would endear, and taken good care of for however many years it had been standing. Judy continued observing the house as they approached it, wondering what they would find inside that Bogo and Wolford needed them to see so badly.

As soon as Judy walked it, a wave of a repulsive scent invaded her nose; a scent of dried blood and decaying flesh. She gasped and placed her paws over her mouth in horror, stepping closer to Nick. Nick would've put his arm around her, but the crutches made it difficult, as well as the fact that he was shocked himself. Nick was less shaken than Judy was, but even his stomach turned upon seeing it. "My God…" he whispered to himself.

In the open living room was nothing but a small mammal in a chair. The animal was torn and bloodied, appearing as though a savage tiger had ripped it apart or a grenade exploded right next to it. Bruises covered its muzzle, and the ends of its mouth dripped with blood, clearly devoid of life, and the floor had blood spread all over the room, with a small puddle right under his left arm. The mammal's whole left arm was torn up, and the forearm was a divide between bare, ripped tendons and the steel bone and paw. The metal paw looked _exactly_ like Nick's. To everyone, it seemed like something out of a horror movie. There were a couple other mammals around gathering evidence, and they seemed to be unmoved by it. They were likely trained, but this was easily the most horrific thing Judy had ever seen.

"Carrots, you okay?" Nick asked her as she seemed to start stumbling.

"Y-yeah…" she stammered, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm fine. Is this… Ridley? The ferret?"

"Sadly, yes," came a Furrench-accented voice. It was one of the CSI agents. He was a brown and black-furred wolverine with the 'ZPD Forensics' t-shirt on. The upper-left fang on his muzzle was broken off, leaving a noticeable scar. He walked over to Nick and Judy. "Senestran d'EntreMonde, CSI Forensics in Tundratown," he announced. "You can call me Sen for short."

Judy immediately restored her hard-working officer attitude. "Officer Judy Hopps." They each shook paws. "And this is Nick Wilde." Senestran shook his metal paw as well with little hesitation, prompting an odd look from the fox.

"Nice to meet you both," he replied with a small nod. And with a small hand gesture, he walked back over to the deceased ferret, with the fox and rabbit following close behind. The wolverine knelt down next to the ferret, studying the bloody arm and the metal that molded with it.

"W-what happened to him?" Judy asked, still feeling a bit choked up, trying not to look directly at his arm. Nick was also looking a bit pale.

"Well… we're not one hundred percent sure," the wolverine admitted. "Could've been the blood loss, the horrendous transformation he's gone through, or perhaps something else was damaged, like the spinal cord or the heart, but we won't know anything for sure until we do a full autopsy."

"How long ago did this happen?" Nick asked.

"He's been dead about forty-eight to sixty hours. You can tell by the stiffness of the muscles and the foul odor of decomposing cells and dried bl-"

"P-please, don't explain…" Judy held up her hand and quivered, trying not to gag.

Senestran took a breath, realizing his small error, and continued. "Most importantly, we know that he was killed, and moved here afterwards. We know that whoever did this had not done it here." He pointed to a faint, red trail on the hardwood floor. He got up and beckoned them to follow. The stains of blood were spread wide across the hallway, and Judy did her best to not step on the markings, tip-toeing and clinging to the wall. Nick looked down at the stains as he nervously hopped on them, trying to make long strides with the crutches. They went out back into the snowy yard, and the wolverine started to swipe away the snow, revealing the rest of the crimson trail, consisting of spots and lines.

"The streaks lead to the fence, and we found the lock torn off," the wolverine continued. "Not unlocked, not cut through, but completely ripped off." He then led them to the fence, but Nick took a bit longer to get there due to the deep snow and his crutches. Judy walked by his side to ensure he didn't fall. Senestran pointed at the fence's edge. The dark, slightly rotted wood of the fence created a contrast with the spot the lock had been attached to. Judy grazed her paw over the spot, taking note of the holes in it. Senestran picked the lock out of the snow and showed it to the fox and rabbit. "It was held with screws, and it wasn't casually removed. Whoever did it, or whoever was involved, had to have been a large mammal, certainly a predator, like a lion, tiger, maybe even a burly wolf."

"Let me see it," Nick asked the wolverine. He handed the lock to him, and the fox took a very close look as he leaned against the fence. He took note of the deformities that were on the edges; three on the top, one on the bottom, with small cracks down the center of each groove from the stretching of the metal. He held it up to his ear and tapped it with his other metal paw. 'Steel' he concluded in his head. He then looked at the fence. He noticed the scathed wood right where the bolt was and matched it with the grooves on the lock. Judy simply watched, knowing he was on to something.

"What mammals have the sharp claws and strength to do this?" he asked. "This lock is steel. Even bodybuilding tigers would have trouble deforming steel like this. Look." The wolverine looked intrigued. He took the lock and saw the same grooves Nick mentioned. The fox continued to speak. "This wasn't a large mammal… I think I know who did this."

Judy's eyes widened. "The raccoon… Rick!" she whispered.

"What raccoon?" Senestran asked.

With a deep breath, the fox responded. "Rick Wilkins a raccoon with an advanced prosthetic arm, and is our prime suspect for my capture. All we know is he's responsible for this," Nick held up his paw as it glistened from the dull sunlight. "I fought him the day I went missing, and he had a metal arm, a strong one. He threw me around like a ragdoll, then choked me unconscious with the one arm."

The wolverine put a paw under his chin. "And you think he's done this too?" he asked.

"Between the lock and the fact that he dropped off a mutilated body with similar transformations as my own… it's either him or someone who helps with the dirty work," Nick replied confidently. The wolverine nodded, seeming satisfied with this new information.

Just then, Nick's phone vibrated. He pulled the phone out of his back pocket and read the text. Senestran placed the lock in an evidence bag as he waited for them to finish.

 _"Hello, Nicholas. Are you able to come to my office for another checkup today at 4:00?"_

 _-Dr. Doyle_

Judy looked over and read the text as well. Nick glanced at the doe and said, "Doyle wants to see us at four today."

"Already? This soon?" she asked.

The fox shrugged. "I guess."

The rabbit sighed. "Alright. Tell him we'll be there." Nick nodded again and began to tap away the message. Judy turned back to the wolverine. "Thank you for bringing us here. We'll be sure to update our case files with this info."

"No problem, Ms. Hopps," Senestran replied as he stood up and shook her paw. "Let me know if you guys need anything else."

"Sure thing… Senestran, was it?" Nick asked. The wolverine simply nodded. Nick responded with a thumbs-up. The fox took the crutches back into his paws and began to hop back to the car with Judy at his side. He turned and waved to Senestran one last time. "See you later, boss," he called out. The wolverine replied with a salute as he headed back inside the house.

As they made their way back to the vehicle, Judy tried to stand close, but not too close. And she kept glancing up at him and down at his feet, very carefully watching him to make sure he didn't slip and fall. Nick could detect this behavior from a mile away. Tempting as it was, the fox said nothing and continued walking. When they got into the car and shut the doors, Judy sighed loudly. It wasn't a sigh of exhaustion or frustration, but confusion. Like she was trying to say 'what are we going to do?'

"You okay?" Nick asked with concern, setting his crutches in the back seat.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied as she started the car. "He said four o'clock, right?"

"Uhh, yeah." The fox looked at the clock on the radio. "Seems we got some time to kill, so what do you want to do?"

Judy thought for a second. "Lunch? At that sandwich place you like?"

"Works for me, Carrot-Cake." The fox winked at her.

The doe blushed under her fur as she put the car into gear and drove off.

* * *

That afternoon, Judy and Nick met up with Dr. Doyle at the hospital so he could check on Nick and make sure his body is functioning correctly and actually improving. He first had the fox do some walking exercises, then cognitive practices like using a pencil, which proved to be very frustrating to him, and X-rays and muscle scans to check up on how his body is adapting.

The meerkat looked at Nick's legs and arms through a handheld device, studying the muscles and tendons in those areas. Judy held on to Nick's paw, more so for her own comfort than his. She was very worried that there'd be something new that might make the fox's condition far worse than it already was. She looked up, and her eyes met his. Nick could see the concern in her eyes. He offered a comforting smile, and that was enough for her to return the favor. She smiled back, trying to shoot down all the negative thoughts swirling in her head. Dr. Doyle shut off the device, placed it on the desk, and picked up the clipboard to write on. After a few seconds of writing, the meerkat turned to the fox and bunny.

"Well, it seems your muscles are starting to adapt much faster," Doyle said to them. "The irritation is ceasing, and the tendons are regaining their strength. I'd assume you'll be able to walk like normal in about two weeks, maybe 18 days."

"Yes!" Nick said, clenching his hand in victory. Judy immediately hugged the fox's neck and giggled after hearing the wonderful news.

The meerkat smiled at them. "I also did some research on some of those parts we couldn't figure out last time, specifically the chip in your right cuff." He walked over to the large, spruce wood desk, picked up a small tablet, and walked back over to the two while swiping and tapping. "I asked a few of associates of mine what it could be, and I came to the conclusion that it is, in fact, a neural booster." The meerkat focused his eyes with the fox's.

"Neural booster?" Nick asked.

"Yes. What it does is amplify, and perhaps correct, the signals sent from your brain to your paws and feet in order for them to fully function right away. It's how your dexterity has restored itself as quickly as it had. In fact... I'm not certain your body will need it anymore to work right. It served its purpose well, but your body is nearly done adapting, so the chip is almost useless at this point."

Nick set his right paw under his chin, thinking hard about what the meerkat told him. "So... I don't need this thing inside me anymore?"

"Perhaps after another week or so. Just to be safe," Doyle replied.

"Works for me," Nick said to him. "I just have a bad feeling about it; like it's got a hidden program that might turn me savage or something..." Judy began to look more worried.

"Trust me, it does nothing more than regulate the signals in your nerves. You have my word, Nick," the meerkat replied with a small bow. Nick simply nodded, and Doyle returned to writing on his clipboard. "And I think that does it for today," he said. "So, I'll see you in two weeks to see how you're doing then?"

"Sure thing, Doc," Nick replied as he grabbed the crutches leaning against the wall. "Let's see if I can walk like a real fox in two weeks, okay?"

"I look forward to it," the meerkat said as he put the clipboard back on his desk. Nick stood up and walked to the door, and Judy approached Doyle.

"Thank you so much for all of your help, Dr. Doyle," she said to him with sincerity.

"Please, call me Joseph, Miss Hopps," he replied, offering a pawshake.

Judy accepted. "Fine, but you're calling me Judy from now on, 'kay?"

Joseph chuckled. "Of course." Judy chuckled as well, then turned and made her way to the door, right as Nick was rolling his eyes, clearly unamused. "Farewell, Judy," the meerkat said with a small wave as he sat down in his comfy-looking office chair.

"Bye," she replied with a wave as she and Nick left the office and closed the door. Nick immediately looked down on Judy as they made their way to the exit.

"Were you just flirting with him?" Nick asked with a raised eyebrow, looking like he was ready to gag.

"What?! No! I was just being friendly!" Judy scolded, trying to keep herself quiet so no one, including the meerkat, would hear them.

 _"You can call me Judy from now on, 'kay?" - "Oh, of course, Judy, heu-heu."_ Nick teased, trying to impersonate the two of them as obnoxiously as possible. Judy rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't control her smile. _"Lemme just wink all flirty-like at ya so we can-_ AH!"

The doe elbowed him in the side, forcing out a yelp. She still failed to hold a straight face whenever he was like this. "You're such a kit sometimes," she said to him.

"Seeing you smile makes it totally worth it, Carrots," Nick replied with a grin. "Now... what do you think about watching a movie tonight?"

"That sounds nice, Slick," she answered kindly


End file.
